Three's a crowd
by yinyinhoney
Summary: Okay, the story so far, Cole has made up with Phoebe(finally), but there is still Patricia who intends to spoil their hapiness, and would do anything to excluse Phoebe out of Cole's life...
1. Default Chapter

**Prologue**

The room was tense with tension. Phoebe was nervously opening and closing her hands unconsciously, while the beautiful blonde smile smugly at her.

_No, she's wrong. Cole won't do this to me_, Phoebe thought desperately. _I know she's trying to hurt me! I won't let her come between me and Cole! _

The beautiful blonde was suddenly surprise to see fire heating out of Phoebe's eyes but quickly disguise her face into a smirk again. "I'm sure you'll want to see proof". She then threw pictures across the table, always hitting Phoebe in the arm. Phoebe looks down at the picture and slowly uncurls her hands to pick the first photograph. The beautiful blonde smiles confidently after seeing Phoebe's shocked face and watches as Phoebe snatches up each photograph as if trying to absorb each photo all together. She removes an imaginary flint on her mink coat and gets up from her chair gracefully and drops a few notes on the table and smiles smugly at Phoebe. 

"I guess I'll be going. You can keep the pictures by the way". And starts walking gracefully to the door without looking behind . Phoebe continues looking at the pictures and didn't bother answering her phone which was ringing in her hand bag, left unforgotten on the floor. 

****

Cole hears her voice message for the third time, sigh tiredly and finally hangs up. He gets up and walk to the window to see the heavy traffic outside._ Phoebe has been giving me the cold shoulder lately. I wonder what has got into her. Have I done something to upset her?, _Cole thought worriedly. He shook his head and assure himself that Phoebe has probably come down with a flu and told himself to get back to work. Cole walks back and starts reading a report. After 25 minutes of reading the same line, he throws the report on the table with disgust. He shoves his hands into his hair and snarls when he heard his intercom buzz.

"Yes?," Cole snaps. 

Patricia smiles and pats her hair into place. "Cole?," Patricia sang into the intercom, "It's Pat. Can I come in?"

Cole slowly scrub his face slowly down and sigh tiredly and said into the intercom, "Look Pat, now it's not a go-"

"Great! Coming in!," Patricia sang and off's the intercom and without hesitation opens the door into a tired Cole behind a paper covered table. She skips to the side of the table and immediately sits at the side, narrowly missing Cole's finger. She smiles brilliantly at him, while he scowls at her. 

" What do you want Pat? I have a bunch of work to do and I have a meeting in..," he looks at his watch, "..in 5 minutes"

"Oh, the budget meeting! I know about the meeting," she smiles slyly and trails her fingers up Cole's arm. Cole lifted a brow in question. Patricia bends down and whispers into Cole's ear. "Why don't we skip this meeting and..," she trails her fingers into his hair and tangles her fingers with it, "..and drop by my house?"

"Pat!," shocked and embarrassed, Cole grips her arm and sets on untangling her from him but she merely tightens her grip on him and quickly plops down on his lap and tries unsuccessfully to kiss him on the lips. " I've waited a long time for this Cole, "she purrs and kisses him on the lips. 

"Mr. Turner, everyone is waiting..," Cole's secretary, Penny opens to a red face Cole and a luscious Patricia on his lap. Penny went red in the face and mumbling an apology quickly closes the door leaving Patricia laughing huskily. Patricia gave him a loud kiss and slowly walks to the bar to check her appearance at the mirror. Cole breathes deeply twice and angrily got up and snarls at Patricia. 

"What the hell was that?," he snarls.

Patricia blinks at him and smile. "What was what?"

He angrily reaches for her but she skips neatly out of the way. "I'm sorry Cole, I have to go now. But you're gonna regret missing a trip to my house." She steps up confidently to him and pats him on the face. "I'll be seeing you". Mission accomplish. She walks out the room. Making sure she can be seen by everybody in the office, she blow a kiss to him, and breezily walks out the office leaving a confuse Cole in the room. 


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Phoebe! I thought I told you to take the garbage out!," Piper glared at Phoebe after taking the trash out. "It's okay not to take out once, but it's definitely not okay not to take out the trash at all"

Phoebe continue blowing her freshly painted nails. "Ask Leo then, isn't that what husbands are for?"

"Yeah..I could do that. Hmm, why haven't I thought of that..Oh! Maybe it's because he has a business to handle and the fact that you're totally free and have nothing to do all day?"

"As a matter of fact, I happen to have a job..," Phoebe paused when Piper showed her a 'yeah right' face, "..soon"

"Phoebe, it's been 2 weeks since you went for an interview! I'm sure they would have called you after a day or two if you have the job," Piper said while busy cleaning the counter. "Maybe you should start looking for another job?"

"Oh, all right," Phoebe sighed. She flipped through the paper and gave a loud squeal. Piper rolls her eyes. 

"Stop looking at Mr. Handsome and start looking for your job!"

"God, Piper don't you see? This happen to be one of god's greatest gift," Phoebe lift up a picture of Keith Evans. "He has the most spectacular face I have ever seen and..Ohmygod! Did you remember the interview I went to?"

Piper lifted a brow. "Yeah, the one you didn't get" and earned a glare from Phoebe.

"Anyway, it's his company I went for an interview! Maybe I still have a chance of getting that job. God, I want that job so badly!"

"Phoebe, the chance of you ever getting that job is ni-," Piper stopped when the phone started ringing. Phoebe's eyes went round with excitement. 

"Maybe they're calling me for the job!," Phoebe quickly ran to the phone. Piper sighed and started pouring herself a glass of milk. After 10 minutes, she looked up to see Phoebe leaning against the wall. "Oh honey, I'm sor-"

"I got the job! I got the job!," Phoebe screamed, jumping up and down at the same time. "I can't believe I got the job!". Piper smile. She hadn't seen Phoebe this excited ever since she broke up with Cole. 

***

Keith smile at his best friend since childhood after he replacing the phone. "All done"

Cole glared at him. "I can't believe you really did that. The minute she hears that she got the job because of me, before you can say Cole, you'll have her resignation letter on your desk"

"Hey man, I'm doing this to spice up your sex life. God knows, how long it's been," Keith smile brightly at Cole. 

"My sex life has nothing to do with you, ass," Cole scowled. "I'll be going now. Hope I won't be seeing your pathetic face anymore"

"Well, that's going to be hard since I'm the only best pal you had and..," Keith smiled slyly. "And, I have your Phoebe working as my assistant. Well, I guess I'll be seeing you everyday"

Cole walked out of the office mumbling to himself that he need to find better friends from now on. 

***

(After a few weeks)

"Phoebe, can I see you in my office?"

"Sure," Phoebe said into the intercom and after a minute, knock on Keith's door. 

"Come in"

Phoebe stuck her head in. "Mr. Evans, you wanted to see me?"

Keith smile at her and gesture at the chair in front of his desk. After Phoebe sat, Keith went straight to the point. "Phoebe, a private cocktail party will be held in the bistro opposite this building. All chief executives of our various companies are expected to attend, along with their secretaries."

"Okay, what time am I suppose to be there?," Phoebe ask calmly even though her stomach feels like it is being eaten by butterflies. 

"I'll pick you up at 6, will that do?"

_Keith Evans personally takes me to a fancy cocktail party?_, Phoebe thought. "Hell, yeah!"

Keith brows lifted. "Excuse me?"

Embarassed, Phoebe replied sheepishly, "I mean, 6 will be fine"

***

"Hey, ass! We've got a date tonight!"

Cole lifted his head from the report he was reading. "What the hell are you doing here? Didn't Tom stop you outside? Damn, looks like I need new security"

Keith hits Cole in the back with a friendly gesture and continued as if he didn't hear Cole. "Anyway, remember to be at the cocktail party opposite the Ritz"

"Keith, I'm not going. I've tons of work to do, meetings to attend and I don't have a date to bring"

"Why don't you bring your delightful Patricia," Keith ask slyly while brushing Cole's hair. Cole's scowl deepen and his face redden. 

"I can't believe I told you what happen"

"Oh common, bring Patricia to the cocktail party and maybe Phoe-"

"Party??!! Cole, you have to bring me sweetheart!"

Cole visible cringed and tried to duck underneath the table but before he could, Patricia snag his arm and despite her puny strength, manage to drag Cole across the room. "We've much to do with buying my clothes, your clothes..."

Cole looked back with an angry stare and mouthed, _you're going to pay. _

Keith just smiled brightly and wave goodbye to them. 


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Keith Evans is personally taking you the cocktail party? Unbelievable!"

"I know!," Phoebe replies enthusiastically. "Wait, is my lipstick okay? My dress?"

Paige grabs Phoebe and shakes her hard. "So worrying, you look great! But, if you feel a little ill, I could take over for you?," she ask with a hope in her voice.

"You nuts? Nothing can stop me from going to this party with Keith!," Phoebe said. 

***

"Have I mention how great you look tonight?"

Phoebe laugh nervously. "Like the 26th time". When the doors swept open at the elegant revolving restaurant, Phoebe took one look at the animated crowd milling around, and a rope of tension coiled around her chest, suffocating her. "Wow, I didn't realize this many people would come". Phoebe felt her hand tuck into Keith's warm hand. She looked up at him with surprise. 

"Relax, they won't have you for dinner. Besides, I'll be with you the whole time," he assure her with a smile and squeezes her hand. 

_Escorted to a cocktail party by Keith_ _and flirted by him? How lucky can I get!_, Phoebe thought. At the bar, as Keith ordered their drinks, and Phoebe cautiously glanced around just as a group of people shifted to one side. 

And there was Cole...

She immediately stiffen._ What is he doing here?! He's not a member of this company.._

He was standing across the room, his dark head thrown back as he laughed at something being said. Phoebe's heart pounded uncontrollably as her gaze took in his handsome, tanned features; the elegant ease with which he wore his impeccably tailored dark suit; the casual way he held his drink in his hand. She noticed every painfully familiar thing about him. And then she noticed the beautiful blonde who was smiling up at him, her hand resting familiarly on his sleeve. 

Anguish poured through Phoebe's veins like hot acid. It was the same woman who told her about the affair she and Cole was having when he was dating her..

"Phoebe?"

Phoebe's head whipped around and saw Keith confuse face. She quickly relaxes her features and smile at him. "Yes?"

"Phoebe, apparently you haven't a heard I said? Is something the matter?," he ask even though he knows perfectly what was bothering her. 

"No.. nothing! I'm cool, I'm okay. I'm okay Keith," she replied. "What did you say just now?"

"Oh, I wanted you to meet my good friend across the room," he took her elbow and started to guide her toward Cole and Patricia. "I'm sure you'll love Cole. He's a hoot I tell you.."

"Cole?," she whispered and quickly jerk her arm out from his grasp. "You know Cole?"

"Oh, you've met Cole," he ask in a fake surprise. "I didn't realize both of you already know each other. Common, let's go meet them"

"Wait Keith, I don't think I can do this. You see, we have this history thing and.. I rather not explain. It's complicated," Phoebe explained.

"I see. But, sooner or later we'll have to greet the host"

"He's the host of this party?!," she demanded, and her head started to throb. "But.. he's not a part of this company. This is your company!"

"Emm, apparently you haven't read into the history of our company. He co-founded this company. We both owned Mantafor (Keith and Cole's company name)."

"God..god.. this is getting worst and worst," Phoebe said and started fanning herself with her hand. "Look, I can't.."

"Do you need a drink? Not unless you need one to bolster your courage to face Cole."

Phoebe shook her head. "I don't need courage. He means nothing to me." 

"I gather you want to convince him that you no longer have any romantic interest in him, is that it?"

"That's right," she admitted.

"In that case-" Keith notice that Cole wasn't in front of them anymore" -I'll give you some unsolicited advice. Why don't you spend a few minutes chatting with him about the party or your new job job and then, with a _very _charming smile, excuse yourself with walk over to someone else-me, if I'm close at hand, and I'll try to be."

Phoebe turned toward him with a soft smile of gratitude. "Thank you," she said. Feeling calm and confident, she relaxed. 

"My, my, what do we have here? Our Keith has finally gotten himself caught"

Phoebe's whole body snapped into rigidity at the sound of Patricia's sulky voice, then forced herself to turn. Patricia's smile stay frozen for the benefit of the people surrounding her but her eyes has turn into ice of fury. "Why this is a nice surprise, Keith"

Phoebe's hands started trembling and felt Keith's warm fingers closed around hers. She then turned a bright, expectant smile on Patricia, whom Keith promptly introduced to her. 

"I've been admiring your dress all evening, Phoebe. Tell me, did Keith buy the dress for you? It looks really expensive," Patricia said nastily.

Phoebe temper flared but her face didn't show it but replied calmly. "Sorry to disappoint you but I made this dress myself."

Keith was surprise. "You made this dress? Wow, you've got talent!"

"Thank you." Without looking at Cole, who was standing there the whole time, just staring at her, Phoebe added, "Oh, there's Mr. Jonathan. He's been trying to talk to you all evening, Keith." With the last remaining ounce of her vanishing poise, Phoebe raised her eyes to Cole's inscrutable features and said politely, "Will you excuse us, please?"

Shortly afterward Keith became absorbed in a conversation with a vice-president, so Phoebe made an effort to be charming and witty and to mange on her own. She was soon surrounded by a flatteringly large cluster of interested, admiring males, and for the rest of the evening she scrupulously avoided looking in Cole's direction. Twice she accidentally turned and encountered his piercing stare, and both times she casually looked right past him, as if she was searching for someone else. After two hours, the tension of being in the same room with him had become unbearable.

She let herself be leaded out by one of the interested males to the outdoor patio portion of the restaurant. Gordon..or Ted, thinking Phoebe was interested in him, began talking continuously about himself until the point where Phoebe couldn't take it anymore. 

"Ted?," he looked up hopefully, "could you get me another glass of red wine? I'm done with my punch". 

"Sure," he replied easily. When he left the patio, she quickly walked over to the chest-high wall that surrounded the patio restaurant and gazed at the glittering panorama of lights fanning out for miles, eighty-one stories below. Behind her, she heard the whisper of the sliding glass door opening and closing, and she resigned herself to the loss of her badly needed solitude. _Why does that jerk have to do be so fast? _"That was quick. Didn't realize you were so eager to see me," she tease, forcing a cheerful lightness into her voice.

"Yes I was," Cole's lazy voice mocked. "And I actually half convinced that I'm invisible."


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Phoebe's hand shook so violently that the ice cubes in her glass clinked together. She turned slowly, trying to gather her scattered wits. She should be unconcerned and urbane, she reminded herself, as if what had happened between them had meant no more to her than it had to him. She forced her gaze upward past his white shirt and striped tie, to his humor-filled eyes. "It's a lovely party," she commented. 

"Is that why you're hiding out here?," he ask and walked over to the wall, leaned his elbow on it and studied her in silence. He watched the breeze blowing her shimmering hair across her bare shoulders before he shifted his gaze back to her face. "So, have you missed me?"

"I'm sorry?," Phoebe's own eyes widened.

"So," he said with a smile, "you haven't missed me at all?" 

"I've been busy," Phoebe replied, but her composure slipped a notch and she added, "And why should I miss you? You aren't the only willing and and available man in New York." 

His dark brow flicked upward in amused speculation. "Is that your way of telling me that after breaking up with me, you've been...ah...adding to your experience?"

_Dear God! He didn't even care if she'd gone out with other men._

"Now that you've had other men to use as a basis for comparison, how do I rate?" he teased. 

"That's an adolescent question," Phoebe retorted scornfully. 

"You're right. Let's go." Tossing down the remainder of his drink in one swallow, he put his glass on one of the tables, took hers and put it beside him then caught her hand. He twisted his wrist and laced his strong fingers through hers, and Phoebe was so giddily aware of his warm fingers firmly clasping hers that she didn't stop to think until he had started to lead her toward an unidentified door around the corner of the building. They didn't notice Ted who stop to stare at them with two glasses of punch he was holding. 

When he reached out to open the door, sanity returned, and she drew back. "Cole, what do you think you're doing?"

Cole looked at her levelly. "Taking you to bed"

Phoebe stared at him. "You're kidding right? What makes you think I'll hop into bed with you after a few years?"

He turned and looked at her. "For a smart girl, that's a very stupid question."

Phoebe's temper exploded. "You are the most arrogant, egotistical...!" She stopped long enough to draw a steadying breath and said tightly, "I don't handle casual, indiscriminate sex, and what's more, I don't like people who can-people like you!"

"You liked me rather well a few years ago," he reminded her coolly.

Her color rose and her eyes blazed. "A few years ago I thought you were someone special!" she shot back angrily. "A few years ago, I didn't know you were a licentious millionaire playboy who changes beds as often as you change clothes. You're everything I despise in a man-you're unprincipled, promiscuous and morally corrupt! You're ruthless and selfish, and if I'd have known who you really were, I wouldn't have given you the time of day!"

Cole's eyes raked the tempestuous young beauty standing before him in all her scornful defiance. In a dangerously soft voice, he challenged, " First of all, I thought you were someone special for me too! I don't even know what I did to you, all I know is, you want to break off with me without even giving me an explanation! So don't tell tell me that I'm ruthless and selfish when you're merely describing yourself!"

She turned on him and strike him hard on the face. "You bastard!" Phoebe hissed. She spun around and nearly ran down the stairs. She was busy trying to find the exit, she collided Keith whom was standing in from of her. 

"Whoa, slow down! Where do you think you're going," he joked but stop when she saw how pale she was, "Hey, I was just joking, what's wrong?"

"I have to go," she whispered, then looks up at Keith, her eyes shining with tears, "I have to go." she repeated. 

Keith cursed to himself, wondering what the hell did Cole said to her. "Sure I'll take you back. I'll call my driver"

"You don't have to-"

"Phoebe, you're not fit to get back on your own, so just shut up and let me take you home"

***

The ceiling above Phoebe's bed was a shadowy void as dismal as her heart as she went over the parting scene with Cole. Instead of feeling sorry for herself, she felt fury. But curiosity got to her. _Why is Cole pretending as if he didn't understand what I told him? He obviously know she cheated on me with Patricia and have the nerve to ask me whether I've missed him! _He had brought Patricia to the party, but he must have desired her more than he desired Patricia. Perhaps she'd been a fool not to go with him. 

Furiously she rolled onto her stomach. Where was her pride and self-respect? How could she even consider having some fleeting, unprincipled libertine! She would not think of him anymore. She would put him out of her mind. Permanently!

Across town, Cole was thinking the exactly opposite from Phoebe's thoughts. 


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

With that resolution firmly implanted in her mind, Phoebe drove to work on Monday and threw herself wholeheartedly into her job. She knew that Piper and Paige are worried about her. Sometimes she notices that they constantly shoots her a sympathetic face but she continues on as if nothing's worrying her. At noontime, when she returned from lunch, the phone on her desk was ringing. Putting down her purse, she glanced over her shoulder into Keith's empty office, then answered it. "Miss Haliwell?" It was Mr. Steven, the real personnel manager, who graded her tests, whom didn't really like her much. "Report to me in the personnel department immediately."

"I don't have much time, since I'm late for lunch, so I'll be brief," Mr. Steven said few minutes later, when Phoebe was seated in his office. "Starting of today, you're officially located to the next Mantafor building"

"Why have I been located?"

Mr. Steven sighed, sounding as if he was irritated with her questions. "Do you speak French fluently?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do-"

"I am notified when a project requires someone who speaks fluent French, and your name appeared in the computer search. Actually, you're the computer's second choice. The first was on sick leave," he added to spite her, "I will notify Mr. Evans of your reassignment when he returns from lunch, and I'll arrange for another secretary to work for him in the afternoon while you're working on this project."

"Do I have to go to the next building right this minute?"

He nodded. 

Phoebe started objecting. "Look, I'm still trying to learn my present job, and Keith-Mr... Evans-isn't going to be at all pleased about-"

"Mr. Evans has no choice," he interrupted coolly. "I don't know the exact nature of the project that requires your fluency in French, but I do know it is top priority, confidential." He stood up. "You are to report to Mr. Turner's office immediately."

"Whaaat?" Phoebe gasped, leaping to her feet in alarm. "Does Mr. Turner know I'm the one who's been assigned to him?"

Mr. Steven gave her a withering look. "Mr. Turner is in a meeting at present, and his secretary did not feel that he should be interrupted to discuss this minor substitution."

***

_I cannot believe this is happening! Working with Cole? This is my worst nightmare! Isn't working in Cole's company bad enough, and now I'll have to take orders directly from him! How high is the coincidence?_, Phoebe thought while walking across the thick, emerald blue carpeting toward the circular desk in the center of Cole's private reception area. "My name is Phoebe Haliwell," she told the receptionist, a beautiful brunette. "Mr. Turner requested a translator, and I've been sent here from personnel."

The receptionist glanced over her shoulder as the doors to Cole's office opened and four men emerged. "I'll tell Mr. Turner that you're here," she said politely. As she reached for the telephone it began to ring, and she picked it up. With her hand over the mouthpiece, she whispered to Phoebe, "Just go on in. Mr. Turner is expecting you."

The tall rosewood to Cole's office were slightly ajar, and he was standing behind his desk, his back to her, talking to someone on the telephone. Drawing a deep breath, Phoebe walked into the room and silently closed the doors behind her. 

"Okay," Cole said into the telephone after a pause. "Call the Asian office and tell our labor relations team to send me a report tomorrow." With the phone hooked between his shoulder and his ear, he picked up a file from his desk and began reading it. He had removed his suit coat, and as he slowly flipped the pages, his white shirt stretched rippling across his broad muscled shoulders and tapered back. Phoebe's hands tingled as she recalled the rippling strength of that powerful male body, the feel of his warm, tanned skin beneath her fingertips...

After he hung up the phone, he started flipping over another page of the file he was reading. Phoebe opened her mouth to announce her presence, then stopped. She couldn't very well call him Cole, and she absolutely refused to humbly and respectfully call him "Mr. Turner." As she started toward his rosewood desk, she said instead, "Your receptionist told me to come in."

Cole turned abruptly. His eyes were unreadable as he casually tossed the file folder onto his desk, shoved his hands deeply into his pant pockets and silently contemplated her. He waited until she was standing directly across his desk from him before he said quietly, "You've chosen a poor time to apologize, Phoebe. I have to leave for a luncheon appointment in five minutes."

Phoebe almost choked on his outrageous presumption that _ she _owed _him _and apology, but she merely favored him with an amused smile. "I hate to bruise your huge ego, but I didn't come up here to apologize. I came because Mr. Steven in personnel sent me."

Cole's jaw tightened. "Why?," he snapped.

"To help with some special project that requires a secretary whom is fluent with French"

"Then you're wasting my time," he informed her bitingly. "In the first place, you aren't qualified or experienced enough to work at this level. In the second place, I don't want you here."

His contempt brought Phoebe's simmering fury to rolling boil, and she couldn't stop herself from goading him.

"Not as if I want to be here, with you," she snapped, backing away a step. "Now would you just be kind enough to call Mr. Steven and tell him that? I've already given him reasons for not wanting to work for you, but he insisted that I come up here."

"Just what 'reasons' did you gave him?"

"I told him," Phoebe lied wrathfully, "that you are an arrogant conceited lecher, and that I'd rather be dead than work for you."

"You told Steven that?" he asked in a low, threatening voice. Phoebe kept the smile fixed on her face. "Yep."

"What did he say?"

Unable to endure the icy blast on his gaze, Phoebe pretended to study her manicure. "Oh, he said that a lot of woman you've slept with probably feel that way about you, but that I should put company loyalty above my understandable revulsion for you."

"Phoebe, "Cole said silkily, "you're fired."


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Inside, Phoebe was a churning mass of rage and pain and fear, but she held on to her composure. With a regal inclination of her head, she said, "You know, I was positive you wouldn't want me to work for you either, and I tried to tell Mr. Steven that." She started toward the rosewood doors. "I can't even imagine how could anyone be able to work you"

"Oh really?," Cole asked.

She turned toward him with her hand on the doorknob. "Oh, definitely. Unlike all the staff working for you, I can tell you exactly what I think of you in perfect French." She saw a nerve jerk in his tightly clenched jaw, and she added in a low, scathing voice, "But it's much more satisfying to say it to you in English: you're a bastard!"

Wrenching open the door, Phoebe marched across the luxurious reception area. She was punching the button to summon an elevator when Cole's hand clamped over her wrist. "Get back into my office," he growled between his teeth. 

"Take your hand off me!," she whispered furiously. 

"There are six people watching us," he warned. "Either you walk into my office on your own, or I'll drag you in there in front of them."

"Go ahead and try it!," she raged right back at him. "I'll sue you for assault and subpoena all six of them as witness!"

Unexpectedly, her threat wrung a reluctant, admiring smile from him. "You have the most incredibly beautiful eyes when you're angr-"

"Save it!," Phoebe hissed, jerking violently at her wrist.

"I have been," he teased suggestively.

"Don't talk to me like that-I don't want any part of you!"

"Liar. You want _every _part of me."

His mocking confidence knocked the breath, out of Phoebe. Defeated, she leaned her shoulder against the marble wall and said without looking back at him. "Cole, please let go off me."

"I can't." His forehead creased into a dark frown of irritated bewilderment. "Whenever I see you, I can't seem to let you go."

"You fired me!"

He grinned. "I just rehired you."

Phoebe was too weakened by the turbulence of the last few minutes to resist that devastating smile of his, and besides, she desperately wanted this job to show to her sisters, that she's definitely over Cole. Resentfully, she shoved away from the wall and accompanied him into his secretary's office, which connected to his by a door. 

"This will be where you will be doing all your work. Here is a report from the Danner project. While I'm at lunch, you can start by translating the letter that came from Danner this morning," he paused and turn to look back at her from the door. "You and I are going to have a long talk when I get back."

***

At two-thirty, the telephone rang. "Janet?"

Phoebe's blood ran cold. _Patricia. _"Mr. Turner is out for a luncheon. Can I take a message?"

"Well, you can tell him that Patricia Callahan called, and I'll be seeing Cole tomorrow night," Patricia said without a hint of recognition. By the way, are you his new secretary?"

"Yes I am." Phoebe said coldly.

"Do you even know who I am?," Patricia asked arrogantly. 

"Should I," Phoebe asked with a bored tone. 

Patricia gave a cry of outrage. "My father owns 'Pedingtion', the largest shipping company in the country."

"Good for you"

"You better watch your tongue, lady. You don't even realize that you're talking to Cole's cousin here. But soon to be his fiancé," Patricia said. Phoebe felt a spurt of jealousy. "I can fire you anytime I like"

"Fire away then". Phoebe casually hang up the phone. But sat there and starts clenching her fist. _Is Cole really going to marry Patricia? I didn't realize they were that close! _

But by the time Cole returned from lunch, she was calm again. For the next few weeks, she promised herself, she was going to adhere to her original plan and treat Cole with the polite friendliness she would show any of her colleagues. If he pressed her, she merely act amused, and if that annoyed him-well, good!

The intercom on her desk buzzed. Cole's rich voice sent a delicious little shiver through her, a shiver she stoically repressed. "Phoebe, will you come in here please?"

He was obviously ready to have their 'long talk' now. Phoebe picked up his messages and walked into the office. "Yes?," she said, lifting her delicate brows in inquiry. 

Cole was perched on the edge of his desk, his arms crossed over his chest. "Come here," he said quietly. 

Phoebe warily contemplated his relaxed stance and the lazy, caressing look in his eyes. She came forward, but stopped just out his reach. 

He said, "That's not close enough."

"It's _more _than close enough."

Amusement gleamed in his eyes, and his voice deepened coaxingly. "We need to straighten out some personal matters between us. Why don't we do it over dinner tonight?," he suggested.

Phoebe courteously refused with a half truth, "I'm sorry. I already have a date."

"All right, how about tomorrow night?" he asked, holding out his hand for hers.

Phoebe plunked his messages into his outstretched palm. "You already have a date-Miss Patricia Callahan"

Cole ignored that reminder. "I'm leaving for China on Friday-"

"Have a good trip," Phoebe interrupted lightly.

"I'll be back on Tuesday," he continued with a trace of impatience. "We can go-"

"Sorry," Phoebe said with an amused little smile that was intended to annoy him. "I'm busy on Tuesday, and so are you. A Miss Samantha called, and you're suppose to call her back"

"I'll call her back later," Cole stated tersely. 

"Oh, okay, I would like to stay and chat, but I still have that report to translate, so is there anything else?"

"Yes, dammit, there is. I hurt you and I'm sorry..."

"I accept your apology," Phoebe said brightly. "Anyway, the damage was only to my pride. Though, it costs me a divorce.."

He studied her with narrowed eyes. "Phoebe, I'm trying to apologize to you so that-"

"You already apologize," Phoebe interrupted.

"So that we can go on from here," he finished implacably. After a thoughtful pause, he continued, "For both our sakes, we'll have to be discreet in order to avoid gossip within the corporation, but I think if we're reasonably cautious when we're together, we can manage."

Fury, not pleasure, tinted Phoebe's smooth cheeks. "Manage what? A sleazy affair? You jump from woman to woman like eating candy bars? Or have you forgotten about Patricia?"

"There is nothing between Patricia and me-"

"Oh, then are you trying to have an affair with me behind her back, just like what you did to me behind my back, with her?!," she hissed. "You're sick!"

Cole lunged forward, and seized her wrists. His eyes were flaming with an alarming combination of anger and desire. "You beautiful, outrageous...". His mouth swooped down, seizing her lips with raw, devastating hunger and ruthless insistence. Phoebe clamped her teeth together, resisting the shattering persuasion of his kiss. 

"Is this the 'top priority confidential' project that required Phoebe's presence up here?," Keith's amused drawl aborted the kiss, and their heads snapped around towards the door, where he was lounging in the doorway. 


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Phoebe wrenched free of Cole's arms as Keith straightened from the doorway and strolled into the office. "This makes things rather awkward for Phoebe," he continued thoughtfully to Cole. "In the first place, I'm afraid some of the workers outside has witnessed a bit of this scene, and since they have a crush on you, they're bound to blame Phoebe."

Phoebe's mortified horror at some of her colleagues having seen them was totally eclipsed by her shock over Keith's next announcement. "n the second place, "he lied with a bland grin, "the date you wanted Phoebe to break on Tuesday happens to be with me. Since I am one of your oldest and closest friends, and since there are seven nights in a week, I don't think it's very sporting of you to try to usurp _my _night. 

Cole's brows drew together in annoyance, but Keith continued imperturbably. "Since we both intend to pursue Phoebe, I think we ought to establish some ground rules. Now," he mused, "is she fair game here at the office or not? I'm perfectly willing to abide by-"

Phoebe finally recovered her power of speech. "I refuse to listen to another word of this," she exclaimed as she stalked toward her temporary office.

Keith stepped out of her way, but kept his challenging smile aimed directly at Cole. "As I was saying, Cole. I'm perfectly willing-"

"I sincerely hope," Cole interrupted shortly, "that you have a valid reason for this unscheduled visit of yours."

Keith relented with a chuckle. "As a matter of fact, I do. Jim called while I was out. I think he wants to talk about a deal..."

Phoebe was already through the doorway and leaned weakly on it. _Why would Keith say that he has a date with her? Is he coming on to me or-_

"If you don't have any work to do-" Curtis, her colleague, voice was like an icicle, "-I'll be happy to give you some of mine."

Phoebe flushed and doggedly resumed her work. 

Cole was in meetings for the rest of the day, and at six o-clock Phoebe breathed a sigh of relief. Back downstairs, the sounds of raised voices and closing drawers heralded the end of another workday. Phoebe nodded absently to a woman who greeted her. Her eyes were on Keith as he came striding around the corner to her former desk. 

"Want to talk?," he asked, inclining his head toward his office.

"Well?," he teased when Phoebe was seated in the leather chair in front of his desk. "Go ahead-we've certainly passed the point where we need to maintain any sort of formality between us."

Phoebe nervously pushed her hair back off her forehead. "What made you stand there and...and listen to everything? What made you say the the things you did about us-you and me?"

Keith leaned back in his chair, a wry grin tugging at his lips. "When I came back from lunch and found out you'd have been reassigned to Cole, I went up to be certain that you were doing all right. Curtis told me that you'd just gone into Cole's office, so I opened the door and looked in to see if you needed rescuing. There you were-smiling angelically at him while you gave him messages from other women and turned down his offer of an 'affair'". 

Resting his head against the back of his chair, Keith closed his eyes and laughed. "Oh Phoebe, you were magnificent! I was just about to leave when you pushed him too far and he finally, er, came on to you"

He opened one eyes, saw Phoebe's scarlet cheeks and waved a dismissing hand. "Anyway, you seemed to be resisting Cole's physical retaliation well enough. I had just decided to leave when Cole put on the pressure and kissed you and you look like you were about to sink, so I stepped in to give you time to recover."

"Why?," Phoebe persisted.

He hesitated for a suspiciously long time. "I suppose because I saw you crying over him, and because I don't want you to get hurt. For one thing, if you do get hurt, you'll resign, and I happen to like having you around." His brows eyes warmed with admiration as he studied her. "Not only are you extremely decorative, young lady, but you're witty, intelligent and capable."

Phoebe blushed, but she wouldn't let the matter drop. He had explained why he'd interrupted, but not why he'd deliberate made Cole think there was something between Phoebe and him. "And," she speculated boldly, "if Cole thinks _you're _interested in me, I'll become even more of a challenge. If that happens, he'll spend more time and effort pursuing me, won't he?". Before Keith could reply, Phoebe finished smoothly, "And if he's busy chasing me, he won't have much time to devote to Patricia Callahan, will he?"

Keith's eyes narrowed. "Phoebe, what are you trying to say here? That I like Patricia?"

Phoebe leaned forward, "I'm saying you're trying to make her jealous of me and you want me to be the cause of their break up!"

He shot her a piercing look, then dismissed the matter with a smile. "I wonder when will the time come when I could just see her screaming like a baby..". He gave her a devilish grin. "Maybe I could speed up this charade and do exactly what I told Cole I was going to do and pursue you myself."

Phoebe smiled. "I have a feeling you're as jaded and cynical as he is." He looked so stung that she added teasingly, "Well, you are-but still very attractive, for all that."

"Thanks," he said dryly. 

"Well, thanks for the chat," Phoebe stand up to leave. She stopped in the doorway and turned. "Keith," she said awkwardly. "Was I the only reason you came upstairs? I mean, did you make up that excuse about Jim wanting to talk about a deal?"

Keith's brown eyes leveled curiously on her. "No, that was the truth. But it was just an excuse." He chuckled as he opened his briefcase and began shoving papers into it. "As Cole rather bluntly informed me when you left, the Jim matter wasn't urgent enough to justify my coming up there and interrupting him." He picked up his briefcase. "Come on, I'll take you home"

They crossed the marble lobby together, and the first thing she saw outside was Cole striding quickly toward a long, sleek silver limousine waiting for him at the curb. 

As Cole turned to slide into the back seat, he glanced toward the building and saw them. His gaze sliced over Keith before settling on Phoebe. His eyes smiled a promise at her-and a warning: tomorrow he could not be so easily put off. 


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

At two o'clock the next afternoon, Phoebe went up to the eightieth floor and was informed by Curtis curtly, that Mr. Turner wanted to see her immediately. Fighting down her nervous tension, Phoebe smoothed her hair, which was held in a loose knot at her nape, and walked into his office. "You wanted to see me?," she said politely.

Cole tossed the documents he was reading down on his desk, leaned back in his chair and lazily surveyed her. "You always wear your hair up for me while we were still married," he said, his deep voice pitched seductively low. "I still like it."

"In that case," Phoebe said lightly, "I'll start wearing it down."

He grinned. "So that's the way we're going to play it, is it?"

"Play what?"

"This little game we started yesterday"

"I am not playing your game," she said with quiet firmness. "I do not want the prize." But she did. She wanted him forever, for herself. And she despised herself for the same stupid weakness. Yesterday, she notice a magazine in a magazine stand, with a full story on Cole about his work, lifestyle, and mostly about his love life.

"I've also had the dubious pleasure of reading through _your _file," Phoebe said. "Your public-relations file," she clarified, at his stunned look "Stories on your job, and how successful you are, but mostly, they're just crap on your sex life"

"And," he concluded evenly, "you were hurt."

"I was disgusted," Phoebe shot back, refusing to admit to any of the anguish she'd felt. She caught hold of her temper and said with a measure of her former calm. "Now, can we get please get down to work?"

A moment later, Cole was called into a meeting that lasted the rest of the afternoon, so Phoebe was left in peace. 

***

At eleven o'clock the next morning, Keith looking harried, appeared at Phoebe's desk. "Cole just called. He wants you in the next building right now, and he's going to need you for the rest of the day." Sighing, he gestured toward the report she'd been preparing for him. "Go ahead. I'll finish that."

When Phoebe arrived, Cole was seated at his desk. his suit coat and tie removed, his dark head bent as he concentrated on the notes he was writing. His shirtsleeves were rolled up on his tanned forearms his collar was unbuttoned. Phoebe's gaze drifted to the tanned column of his throat. Not so long ago, she remembered, she had pressed her lips to the hollow there where his pulse beat...

She looked at his beautifully styled dark hair and the ruggedly chiseled angles of his jaw and cheek. He was the handsomest, most compelling man she had ever seen, she thought with a pang of longing. But when she spoke, her voice was calmly detached. "Keith said you needed me up here right away. What do you want me to do for you?"

Cole turned and looked at her, a smile sweeping across his features. "Now, there's a question," he teased.

She pointedly ignored his sexual innuendo. "I understand that you have an urgent task for me."

"I do"

"What is it?"

"I want you to go to the coffee shop and get me something to eat."

"That-," Phoebe choked, "That's your idea of urgent?"

"Very urgent," Cole replied imperturbably. " I happen to be starved."

Phoebe clenched her hands into fists. "To you I may merely be some frivolous, amusing sexual object, but downstairs I have an important job to do, and Keith needs me."

"_I_ need you, honey. I've been here since-"

"Don't you dare call me honey," she bursts out, reeling with unwanted joy at the casual endearment. 

"Why not?," he cajoled, a smile lighting his face. "You're sweet."

"You won't think so if you call me honey again," Phoebe promised.

His brow drew together at her tone, and Phoebe had to remind herself that he was still her boss. "Oh all right!," she capitulated ungraciously. "What do you eat for breakfast?"

"Irritating secretaries," he mocked.

Phoebe stalked back to her temporary office and saw Curtis lounging there with some of her colleagues whispering about something. Phoebe knew it must be her because every few minutes, they will turn around and stare at her as if she has grown wings.

As if to atone for sending her on such an unimportant errand, Cole tanked her for the sweet rolls she brought him and gallantly insisted on pouring her a cup of coffee.

"I'll fix it myself, but thank you anyway," Phoebe said firmly. To her sublime discomfort, Cole strolled over to the bar and casually leaned against it, watching her add cream and sugar.

When she reached out to pick her cup, he put his hand on her arm. "Phoebe," he said quietly," I'm so sorry if I hurt you. Believe me, I never intended to do that. And you haven't hear the part of my story yet"

"There's no need for you to keep apologizing," she replied, carefully pulling her arm away. "Let's just forget the whole thing happened." She picked up her cup and started toward her desk.

"Aren't you even curious to know my part-"

"I said, let's just forget the whole thing happened," she stated coldly.

"Fine. By the way," he said causally, "I'm leaving for Paris tonight. But beginning on Monday, I'll need you up here in the mornings too."

"For how long?," Phoebe asked appalled.

He grinned. "For as long as it takes me to win this game of ours."


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

With those words the gauntlet was tossed, and the battle of wills that ensued promptly wore Phoebe to a frazzle.

She had scarcely put down her coffee cup when Cole buzzed her on the intercom and asked her to come into his office and take a letter to Danner, the French inventor. "And bring your coffee," he invited.

In the middle of his rapid-fire dictation he said softly, without pausing, "When the sun is on your hair, it shows how soft your hair is," and launched back into his letter. Phoebe, who had inadvertently taken half of the compliment down in shorthand, gave him a killing glance, and he chuckled.

At two o'clock he asked her to sit in on a meeting in his office and take notes. In the middle of the meeting, she glanced up to find his heavy-lidded gaze on her crossed legs. Her whole body turned warm, and she uncrossed her legs. Cole looked into her eyes and smiled knowingly. 

When the meeting adjourned Phoebe stood up to leave, but Cole stopped her. "Have you finished typing your French translation of that list of questions I dictated, so that Danner will understand what I want to know?". Flicking a charmingly apologetic smile in her direction, he added, "I hate to rush you, honey, but I have to take it with me to Casano."

_Why_, Phoebe wondered resentfully, _did her stupid heart turn over when he called her honey?_ "It's ready," she answered.

"Good," he replied with a grin. Without warning, he put his arm around her and tipped her chin with his free hand. "I'll bring you a present from Italy. What would you like?"

"For you to go quickly and leave me alone," Phoebe said flatly. With a sharp jerk backward, she freed herself from his arms, then she turned on her heel and marched into her office. Cole's throaty chuckle followed her. 

As he watched her walk away, Cole felt a strange, unfamiliar emotion budding deep inside him, a tenderness that made him feel vulnerable. The sight of her pleased him, her smile warmed him and touching her sent desire exploding through his system. 

His smile faded. He was pressuring her, and he had never done that to a woman in his life. He was stalking her, backing her into corners, and he was disgusted with himself for it. And yet he couldn't stop...He felt more for her than desire; he genuinely liked her. He admired her courage and her stubbornness, and even her idealism.

***

"Hello girls," Patricia cooed as she walked across the thick, emerald green carpeting toward Cole's office.

"Good morning, Ms. Callahan," six of them chorus. Curtis immediately came towards Patricia and said quietly to her," Could I speak to you for a while?"

"Of course," Patricia said curiously. Curtis knew her job well, to spy on Cole's love life, and if there was anything without Patricia in it, inform Patricia immediately.

Curtis drew her into a secluded corner and went straight to the point. "Mr. Turner has a new secretary"

Patricia looks at her manicure. "I know that. I spoke to her a few days ago"

"Don't you know who is his secretary?"

"It has nothing to do with Cole. She just writes him a report and-"

"Phoebe Haliwell"

Shock registered in Patricia eyes. "What! Isn't she working for-"

"Yes, but she was transferred to this building especially for the Danner's project," Curtis said said with a gusto. Looks like Patricia hasn't heard of this gossip yet. "It's because of her skill in French"

"Why, that little bitch! Sneaking up here to claw herself on Cole..I'll put a stop to this once and for all!," Patricia said with fury then started after Cole's door.

"Ms. Callahan, I advice you not to do anything to jeopardize your position now with Mr. Turner," Curtis warned.

"What the hell are you talking about?," Patricia snarls.

"Apparently, he's always asking for her. Even when she's at the other building, he calls her in just to buy breakfast for him when he could easily ask anyone of us outside his office," Curtis voice lace with jealousy. "Every single time when he needs anything, he personally calls Ms. Haliwell. If you have her fired, Mr. Turner will know it's you and then...". Curtis left the last sentence hanging.

"You're right as always Curtis," Patricia said thoughtfully. "I knew I could count on you. I'll personally ask the personnel manager to give you a raise"

Curtis smile winningly. She was hopping this matter would come up. "Thank you Ms. Callahan"

"But you'll have to help me take care of this Phoebe..."

"No problem," Curtis smile cunningly. "As a matter of fact, I already have a plan brewing in my mind.."

***

At 5.55 a joint conference call that Cole had scheduled came through from New York, California, and Mexico. When Curtis told him it was ready, Cole asked her to send Phoebe in to take notes.

"He's putting it on the speaker phone," Curtis said coldly. "He'll only need you to take down any figures that are discussed."

The call was already under way when Phoebe walked into his office. Cole gestured toward his chair and got up so that she could sit at his desk and take notes. Four minutes after Phoebe sat down, he leaned over from behind, braced his hands on the desk on either side of her and brushed his lips across her hair. 

Phoebe's self-control snapped. "Damn you, stop it!," she burst out.

"What?" "What?" "What?" three masculine voices chorused.

Cole leaned toward the speaker and drawled, "My secretary thinks you're talking too fast, and she'd like you to stop so she can catch up."

"Well, all she had to do was ask," one offended male replied.

"I hope you're satisfied!," Phoebe whispered furiously.

"I'm not," Cole chuckled in her ear. "But I'm going to be."

Fully intending to leave him to take his own notes, Phoebe slammed her notebook closed and tried to shove her chair back. Cole's body blocked the chair. She twisted her head around to say something scathing, and his lips captured hers in a kiss that forced her head against the back of the chair, tripled her pulse rate and robbed her of thought. When he took his mouth away, she was too shaken to do anything except stare at him.

"What do you think, Cole?," a voice asked over the speaker.

"I think it gets better every time," he answered huskily.

When the call was finally over, Cole pressed a button on his desk, and Phoebe saw the door leading to her office swing shut electronically. He grasped her arms and drew her out of the chair, turning her toward him. His mouth came closer to hers, and Phoebe felt herself being helplessly drawn into his magnetic spell. "Don't!," she pleased. "Pleased don't do this to me."

His hands tightened on her arms. "Why can't you just admit you want me and enjoy the consequences?"

"All right," she said wretchedly, "You win. I want you...I admit it." She saw the gleam of triumph in his eyes, and her chin lifted. "When I was ten years old, I also wanted a monkey I saw in a pet store."

The triumph faded. "And?," he sighed irritably, letting go of her.

"And unfortunately I got him," Phoebe said. "Daisy bit me, and I had to have twelve stitches in my leg."

Cole looked as if he was torn between laughter and anger. "I imagine he bit you for naming him Daisy. Anyway, what the hell does that have to do us?"

"Everything!". She raised her hands in a gesture of appeal, then dropped them in defeat. "I'm trying to explain that I want you, but that I'm not going to let you hurt me again."

"I won't hurt you. I haven't told you my part-"

"Enough of your part of the story already! Yes you will!," she said, fiercely fighting back tears. "You won't mean to, but you will. You already have. While we were married, you were dating Patricia behind my back! I even have pictures of both of you, hugging and kissing! Do you know what I was doing while you were out dating her?"

"How did you get those pictures?"

"You're not listening to me! Do you know what I was doing while you were out dating her?"

Cole shoved his hands in his pockets, his expression guarded. "No, What were you doing?"

"I," Phoebe said on a note of hysterical, choking laughter, was knitting you a black sweater to match your eyes." She looked at him, her eyes pleading with him to understand. "If we have an affair, you won't be emotionally involved, but I will. I can't detach my emotions from my body, hop into bed and have a wonderful time, and then forget about it. I'd want you to care, and I'd care. I'd be jealous if I thought you were with another woman. And if I _knew_ you were, I'd be hurt and furious."

If he had mocked her or tried to persuade her, she would have burst into tears. But he did neither and she gained strength from that. She even managed a sad smile. "If we had an affair, when it was over you'd want us to be friends, wouldn't you? You'd expect it."

"Naturally"

"Then since our 'affair' is over, can we be friends now?" Her voice shook as she added, "I-I would really like to think of you as my friend."

Cole nodded, but he didn't speak. he simply stood looking at her, his gray eyes enigmatic.

Before she stepped out of the office, Cole voice rang out, " Phoebe, whatever you hear from the speaker are confidential, do you understand?"

"Perfectly"

Afterward, Phoebe walked to her car, congratulating herself on the maturity with which she'd handled the situation. She had been honest and direct; she'd withstood temptation and upheld her principles. She had done the 'right' thing, and she was a stronger better person for it.

She folded her arms on the steering wheel and burst into tears.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Phoebe spent the rest of the week working like a fiend at the office. At home, Paige occasionally teases her about Keith and her a s a couple, but instead of thinking of Keith, Cole's face usually comes up. 

Last Thursday afternoon, Janice stopped her in the public relations department. "Keith's birthday is next week, on Tuesday," she told Phoebe. "It's sort of a custom here to bring a cake for your boss." With an irrepressible grin she added, "Cake and coffee is a terrific excuse to quit working fifteen minutes early."

"I'll bring a cake," Phoebe quickly assured her and then smiled. _Why can't her co-workers working in Cole's department be as nice a Keith's?_.

***

Phoebe glanced at thermometer outside the window of her bedroom as she pulled on a buttercup yellow sweater and slacks. Piper and Paige are out for the evening. They wanted her to come along, but she just didn't have the mood to go out. Now, she was bored and alone. Shopping for Keith's birthday present would give her something to do, she decided. She was debating what to buy him when the sudden ring of the doorbell interrupted her thoughts.

When she opened the door she stared in amazement at the man whose tall frame seemed to fill the doorway. Dressed in an open-collared cream shirt with a rust-colored suede jacket hooked negligently over his shoulder, Cole looked unbearably handsome that Phoebe could have cried. She forced herself to sound composed and only mildly curious. "Hi. What are you doing here?"

He frowned. "Damned if I know."

Unable to suppress her smile she said, "The usual excuse is that you happened to be in the neighborhood and decided to drop by."

"Now why didn't I think of that?," Cole mocked dryly. "Well, are you going to invite me in?"

"I don't know," she said honestly. "Should I?"

His gaze traveled down the entire length of her body, lifted to her lips and finally her eyes. "I wouldn't if I were you."

Breathless from his frankly sensual glance, Phoebe was nevertheless determined to abide by her decision to avoid all personal involvement with him. And judging from the way he had just looked at her, his reasons for being here was very, very personal. Reluctantly she made her decision. "In that case, I'll follow your advice. Goodbye, Cole," she said, starting to close the door. "And thank you for stopping by."

He accepted her decision with a slight inclination of his head, and Phoebe made herself finish closing the door. She forced herself to walk away on legs that felt like lead, reminding herself at the same time how insane it would be to let him near her. But halfway across the living room she lost the internal battle. Pivoting on her heel, she raced for the door, but before she could open the door, the doorbell rang. Composing herself, she open the door and saw him lounging with one hand braced high against the doorframe, gazing down at her flushed face.

"Hello, Phoebe. I happened to be in the neighborhood and decided to drop by."

"What do you want, Cole?," she sighed, her eyes searching his.

"You."

Resolutely she started to close the door again, but his hand shot out to stop her. "Do you really want me to go?"

"I told you on Thursday that I _want _has nothing to do with it. What matters is what's best for me, and-"

He interrupted her with a boyish grin. "I promise I won't bite you."

She stepped aside and let him in, then took his jacket and hung it in the closet. When she turned, Cole was leaning against the closed front door, his arms crossed over his chest. "On second thoughts," he grinned, I take that back. I'd love to bite you."

"Pervert!," she returned teasingly, her heart thumping so much with excitement that she hardly knew what she was saying.

"Come here and I'll show you just how perverted I can be," he invited smoothly.

Phoebe took a cautious step backward. "Absolutely not. Would you like some coffee or a Cole?"

"Either would be fine."

"I'll make you some coffee."

As she made the coffee, she was acutely conscious that he was standing in the kitchen doorway, watching her.

"Is Paige and Piper home?," he asked casually.

"No". 

"So, it's like.. both of us are alone right now?"

"Yes". She heard him start toward her, and she hastily turned to the table and put out cups and saucers. When she straightened, she knew he was standing right behind her, but she had no choice except to turn around and face him.

"Have you missed me?," he asked.

"What do you think?," she evaded smoothly-but not smoothly enough, because he chuckled.

"Good. How much?"

"Is your ego in need of bolstering today?," she continued lightly.

"Yep"

"Really, why?"

"Because I got shot shot down by a beautiful brunette, and I can't seem to get her out of my mind."

"That's too bad," Phoebe said, trying unsuccessfully to hide the joy in her voice.

"Isn't it," he mocked. "She's like a thorn in my side, a blister on my heel. She has the eyes of an angel, a body that drugs my mind, the vocabulary of n English professor and a tongue like a scalpel."

"Thanks, I think."

His hands glided up her arms, then curved around her shoulders, tightening as he drew her to within a few inches of his chest. "And," he added, "I like her."

His mouth making a deliberately slow descent, and Phoebe waited helplessly for the physical impact of his lips covering hers. Instead he bypassed her lips and began o explore the creamy skin of her neck and shoulder, his warm mouth nuzzling the sensitive area, then slowly wandering upward along her neck toward her ear. With the kitchen table behind her and Cole's body in front, Phoebe was incapable of doing anything except standing there, a mass of quivering sensations. His mouth left a burning trail of trail of kisses up to her temple, then slowly began to drift toward her lips. A fraction of an inch above hers he stopped. "Kiss me, Phoebe."

"No," she whispered shakily.

He shrugged and began leisurely kissing her other cheek, stopping to linger sensuously at her ear, his tonuge tracing every curve and hollow. He nipped her earlobe, and Phoebe lurched forward in a startled movement that jolted their bodies together. "God!," Cole muttered under his breath, and his lips began to trail down her neck to her shoulder.

"Cole, please," Phoebe whispered weakly.

"Please what?," he murmured against her throat. "Please put us both out of this misery?"

"No!"

"No?, "he repeated silkily, raising his head. "You don't want me to kiss you, and undress you, and make love to you?". His lips were tantalizingly close, and Phoebe was almost faint with the desire to feel them crushing down on hers. Instead he bent over hers, first in one direction, then the other. "Please kiss me," he coaxed huskily. "I dream about the way you kissed me all the time, about how sweet and warm you felt in my arms..."

With a silent moan of surrender, Phoebe slid her hands up his muscular chest and kissed him. She felt the tremor that ran through his body, the gap of his breath against her lips in the instant before his arms closed around her, and his mouth opened passionately over hers.

Desire was raising through her like a wild fury by the time he finally dragged his mouth opened passionately over hers. "Let's go to your room," he whispered hoarsely.

Phoebe pulled back in his arms and lifted eyes to his. His face was dark with passion, and demand was blazing in his eyes. He wanted her more now than ever. She could feel it. She was also half convinced that he felt more for her than just desire, but then she'd foolishly believed that when they're married too. This time she wanted it to be certain. her pride would not permit her to let him use her again.

"Cole," she said nervously, "I think it would be better if we got to know each other first."

"We already know each other," he reminded her. "Intimately."

"But I mean...I would like us to know each other better before we...before we start anything."

"We've already started something, Phoebe," he said with a hint of impatience in his voice. "And I want to finish it. So do you. What else matters?"

"What else matters?," Phoebe hissed, pulling free of his arms. "How can you ask me that? I told you I couldn't handle a casual, unemotional affair with you. What are you trying to do to me?"

Cole's jaw tightened. "I'm trying to get you into that bedroom so that we can ease the ache that's been building inside us for weeks. I want to make love to you all day until we're both too weak to move. Or, if you prefer it more blunt than that, I want to-"

"And then what?," Phoebe demanded hotly. "I want to know the rules, dammit! Today we make love, but tomorrow we're no more than casual acquaintances, is that it? Tomorrow you can make love to Patricia if you want to, and I'm not supposed to care-right? And tomorrow I can let another man make love to me, and _you_ won't care-is that right?"

"Yes," he snapped.

Phoebe had her answer-he didn't care about her any more than he had before. He merely wanted her more. Tiredly she said, "Coffee is ready."

"_I'm _ready," he said crudely.

"Well, I'm not!," Phoebe stormed in mounting fury. "I'm not ready to be your Sunday-afternoon playmate. if you're bored, go play your games with someone who can handle a casual romp in bed with you. Try Patricia."

"Patricia has nothing to do with me and you, and why do you keep involving her when we're talking about our marriage? She has absolutely nothing to do with it! You're the one who ended it, remember?," he snaps.

"Unbelievable, until now, you don't even bother to admit it! You were cheating with her behind my back!"

"I was not! You simply jump into conclusions yourself!"

"I cannot believe I'm hearing this! I have pictures with you and Patricia kissing"

"Oh really, where?," he asks angrily. "Because during the time we were married, the only women I remember kissing, is you!"

"I'll show you then!," she storms up into her bedroom and starting rummaging around for the pictures she has been keeping for a long time. When she turn around, he was right behind her snatching the photographs from her hands.

He started flipping through the pictures. Disbelief came into his eyes. He looks at her, then back at the pictures, then after a while, to her again. "Do you even realize what is going on here?"

Phoebe narrowed her eyes. "It's a picture of both of you kissing"

He threw those pictures on the table with a snap. "And you didn't bother to come to me, demanding explanation?"

"What is there to ask? The answer are in those pictures!," Phoebe shouts.

"If you have demand some explanation from me" he said icily. "Or, believe in me at all, we wouldn't be in this situation!"

"These pictures of me and Patricia kissing, as you can see in this picture, I was aiming for her cheeks to greet her, and she purposely turned her face, so it would look as if I was kissing her. We were at the Conner's birthday bash in Mexico, which you said you were too ill to attend, which I attend alone, I didn't know Patricia was there, but I left after a few minutes, because I missed you so badly, I was rushing to the airport, to get back to you, our house was so empty without you there. Thinking you were staying over at your sister's house for a visit, I didn't say anything, when I heard the doorbell ring, boy, was I excited to greet you, but instead of you, your lawyer slap me with divorce papers from you..."

Phoebe felt as if he had slapped her. She was too shocked to say anything.

"I'm glad we had the divorce because I've finally realize after all this years the reason we had this divorce!," he said, already striding out of the kitchen.

Phoebe heard the front door slam behind him. She was struck speechless. _Oh my god! It was all a mistake! Cole never cheated on me! I simply jump into conclusion! And I believe all the lies Patricia told me! What a fool I have been! Cole, will never forgive me for what I've done..I have to go on. But I'll continue to work for Cole, and try to find a way for him to forgive her.._

She didn't feel like shopping for Keith's birthday gift anymore. She notice the sweater she knitted for Cole. Phoebe removed it from the drawer. Keith was almost exactly Cole's size, and he would probably like it very much. She would give it to him, she decided, ignoring the sharp stab of anguish that shot through her.


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Phoebe walked into the office the next morning wearing a chic burgundy suede suit and a determinedly bright smile. Keith took one look at her and grinned. "Phoebe, you're gorgeous-but aren't you supposed to be upstairs?"

"Not anymore," she replied, handing him his mail. She had assumed that because their "game" was over, Cole would no longer want her upstairs in the mornings.

She was wrong. Five minutes later, as they were discussing a report Phoebe was working on, the phone on Keith's desk rang. "It's Cole," he said, passing the receiver to her.

Cole's voice was like a whip crack. "Get yourself here now! I said I wanted you here all day and I meant it. Now move!"

He hung up on her, and Phoebe looked at the receiver as if it had just bitten her. She hadn't expected Cole to sound like that. She'd never heard anybody sound like that. "I-I think I'd better go to the next building," she said, hastily standing up.

Keith's face was a study in incredulity. "I wonder what the hell has gotten under his skin?"

"I think I have." she saw the thoughtful smile that slowly spread across Keith's attractive face, but she had no time to ponder it.

Only a few minutes later Phoebe tapped on Cole's door and, with an outward calm she didn't feel, walked into his office. She waited a full two minutes for him to acknowledge her, but after having practically shouted at her to get to the next building, he continued writing, ignoring her presence. With an irritated shrug, she finally went over to his desk to stand in front of him, to let him know she was there. "What was the urgent task you badly wanted me to do?"

"Get out there and ask Curtis yourself. Let yourself out and let me do my work," he replied icily, without looking up.

Fuming, she went out and found Curtis arranging a clean desk. _It was so obvious she was trying to listen. _"Mr. Turner has ask me to ask you for instructions"

"Not the queen around now, are you?," Curtis sneers. "Sometime during the next few days he's expecting a call from Danner. He wants you to be available to act as translator whenever the man decides to call"

Phoebe turns to leave but couldn't resist sneering back at Curtis. "No wonder you have always been so cold to me, you're jealous because Mr. Turner has been paying a lot of attention to me. You sneer at anyone who are close to Mr. Turner because you know that you will never ever be more than just a secretary to Mr. Turner". Satisfied, she went back to her temporary office to start on her report, leaving Curtis standing there with humiliation written all over her face. 

***

During the next five days, Phoebe saw sides of Cole that she had only imagined existed. Hone was the teasing man who had held and kissed and pursued her so relentlessly. In his place was a powerful, dynamic businessman who treated her with a brisk, aloof formality that thoroughly intimidated her. When he wasn't on the phone or in meetings, he was dictating or working at his desk. He arrived before she did in the morning and was still there when she left at night. Acting as his auxiliary secretary, she grew petrified of displeasing him in any way. She had the feeling he was merely waiting for her to make a mistake so that he would have a legitimate reason to fire her.

On Friday, Phoebe made the mistake she'd been dreading; she left an entire paragraph out of a detailed contract Cole had dictated to her. The moment his summons snapped over the intercom she knew her time had come, and she walked into his office with limbs shaking and hands perspiring. But instead of flaying her alive, which she could see was what he wanted to do, he pointed out the error and shoved the contracts toward her. "Do it again," he snapped, "and this time get it right."

She relaxed slightly after that. If Cole hadn't fired her for that blunder, he obviously wasn't looking for an excuse to get rid of her. He must need her at hand for that call from Danner no matter how poorly she performed.

"Hard at work I see?," a breathy voice announced to Phoebe at noon that same day. Phoebe looked up to see the glamorous Patricia standing in front of her. "So, you're the bitchy secretary I spoke to the other day? I should have known it was you"

"Is there something you want?," Phoebe asked as she went back to work.

"Is Cole in? I'm sure he'll be glad to see me when he has to stand seeing your irritating face the whole day. No wonder, he coops up in his office the whole day, poor darling," she coed. "You don't have to buzz me in, I'll just go right in". And breezed in into the office.

A few minutes later, Patricia and Cole strolled out of his office together, heading toward the elevators. Cole's hand was resting familiarly at the small of her back, and he was grinning at whatever she was telling him. If Phoebe had looked closely, she could see how much, his grin was forced. 

Phoebe swung back around to her typewriter. She hated Patricia's drawl; she hated the possessive way she looked at Cole; she hated the woman's breathless laugh. In fact, she loathed everything her and she knew exactly why-Phoebe was hopelessly, completely , irrevocably in love with Cole Turner.

She adored everything about him, from the aura of power and authority that surrounded him, to the energetic confidence in his long strides, to the energetic confidence in his long strides, to the way he looked when he was deep in thought. She loved the way he wore his expensive clothes, the way he absently rolled his gold pen in his hand when he was listening to someone on the telephone. He was, she decided with an aching sense of tormented hopelessness, the most forceful, compelling, dynamic man in the world. And he had never seemed further beyond her reach. 

"Don't worry too much," Vicky said, the only friend she had in Cole's department. "There have been many Patricia Callahan in his life in his past. They don't last long."

The reassurance only made Phoebe feel worse. She'd suspected that Vicky not only knew everything that had happened between Cole and herself in the past, but that she also knew exactly how Phoebe felt about Cole now. "I don't care what he does!," she said with angry pride.

"Is that right?," Vicky retorted with a smile, and left for lunch.

Cole didn't return until afternoon, and Phoebe wondered furiously whose bed they had gone to-his or Patricia's.

By the time she left the office, she was so overwrought with jealousy and so filled with self-loathing for loving such an unprincipled libertine that she had a splitting headache. At home she wondered aimlessly around the living room. 

Being near Cole was hurting her more every day. She had to leave the company-she couldn't bear to be so close to him, to love him as she did have to watch him with other women. To have him look at her as if she was a piece of office equipment whose presence offended him but whom he was obliged out of necessity to have nearby.

Abruptly she stopped pacing, her mind seizing on a solution that should have occurred to her before. There were other large corporations that needed good secretaries and that pad high salaries for them. When she bought the ingredients for Keith's birthday cake that night, for Piper to bake for her, she would also buy a newspaper. Beginning immediately she would start looking for another job.

Despite the dull ache she felt at the prospect of selling it, Phoebe felt peaceful for the first time in weeks. 


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"It's my birthday," Keith announced as Phoebe walked into his office. "Normally a secretary brings a cake for her boss, but I don't suppose you've been here long enough to know that." He sounded a little doleful.

Phoebe started to laugh. "Not only did did I get you a cake (thanks to Piper), I have a present for you too," she informed him gaily. "One I made myself."

Keith unwrapped the package she handed him, and he was boyishly delighted with the sweater. "You shouldn't have-," he grinned, holding it up "-but I'm glad you did."

"It was to say happy birthday and thank you for helping me with...things," she finished lamely.

"Speaking of 'things,' Vicky tells me that Cole is like a keg of dynamite ready to explode as the first spark. She says you're bearing up under the strain marvelously"

"I like her," Phoebe said, her eyes clouding at the mention of Cole.

Keith waited until she had left to go to Cole's, then he picked up his telephone and punched the numbers. "Vicky, what's the atmosphere like over there this morning?"

"Positively explosive," she chuckled.

"Is Cole going to be in the office this morning?"

"Yes, why?"

"Because I've decided to light a match under him and see what happen."

"Keith, don't!," she said in a low, sharp voice.

"See you a little before five, beautiful," he laughed, ignoring her warning.

***

When Phoebe returned from lunch there were two dozen breathtakingly gorgeous red roses in a vase on her desk. She removed the card from its envelope and stared at in blank amazement. On it was written "thank you, sweetheart," followed by the initial K.

When Phoebe looked up, Cole was standing in the doorway, his shoulder casually propped against the frame. But there was nothing casual about the rigid set of his jaw or the freezing look in his gray eyes. "From a secret admirer?," he asked sarcastically.

It was the first personal comment he had addressed to her in a week. "Not a secret admirer exactly," she hedged.

"Who is he?"

Phoebe tensed. He seemed so angry she didn't think it would be wise to mention Keith's name. "I'm not certain."

"You aren't absolutely certain?," he bit out. "How many men with the initial K are you seeing? How many of them think you're worth more than a hundred dollars in roses as a way of saying thank you?"

"A hundred dollars?," Phoebe repeated, so appalled at the expense that she completely overlooked the fact that Cole had obviously opened the envelope and read the card.

"You must be getting better at it," he mocked crudely.

Inwardly Phoebe flinched, but she lifted her chin. "I have much better teachers now!"

With an icy glance that raked her from head to toe, Cole turned on his heel and strode back into his office. For the rest of the day he left her completely alone.

At five minutes to five, Keith walked into Phoebe's office, wearing his black sweater and balancing four pieces of birthday cake on two plates. He put the plates down on Vicky's empty desk and glanced at the doorway to Cole's office, "Where's Vicky?," he asked.

"She left almost an hour ago," Phoebe said. "She said to tell you that the nearest fire extinguisher is beside the elevators-whatever that means. I'll be right back. I have to take these letters in to Cole."

As she got up and started around the desk, she was looking down at the letters in her hand, and what happened next stunned her into immobility. "I miss you, darling," Keith said, quickly pulling her into his arms.

A moment later he released her so suddenly that Phoebe staggered back a step. "Turner!," he said. "Look at the sweater Phoebe gave me for my birthday cake-she made that too." Seemingly oblivious to Cole's thunderous countenance, he grinned and added, "I have to get back downstairs." To Phoebe he said, "I'll see you later, love." And then he walked out.

In a state of shock, Phoebe stared at his retreating back. She was still staring after him when Cole spun her around to face him. "You vindictive little bitch, you gave him my sweater! What else has he gotten that belongs to me?"

"What else?," Phoebe repeated, her voice rising. "What are you talking about?"

His hands tightened. "Your detectible body, my sweet. That's what I'm talking about."

Phoebe's amazement gave way to comprehension and then to fury. "How dare you call me names, you hypocrite!," she exploded, too incensed to be afraid. "You've always been telling me that there's nothing promiscuous about a woman satisfying her sexual desires with any man she pleases. And now-" she literally choked on her wrath "-and now, when you think I've done it, you call me a dirty name. You of all people-you, the United States contender for the bedroom Olympics!"

Cole let go of her as if she had burned him. In a low, dangerously controlled voice he said, "Get out of here, Phoebe."

When she'd left, he walked over to the bar and poured himself a stiff bourbon, while fury and anguish twisted through him like a hundred snakes.

Phoebe had a lover. Phoebe probably had several lovers.

Regret shot through him like acid. She was no longer a starry-eyed little fool who thought people should be in love before they made love. That beautiful body of hers had been thoroughly explored by others. His mind instantly conjured up tormenting pictures of Phoebe lying naked in Keith's arms.

He tossed down his drink and poured himself another shot to blot out the pain, the images. Carrying it over to the sofa, he sat down and propped his feet up on the table.

_What is wrong with me? I'm acting like a jealous fool! You're angry with her, don't you remember? You've nothing to do with the divorce. It's all her fault, there was a divorce! You should be angry with her, instead of being a jealous of anyone who has slept with her._

The liquor slowly began to work its numbing image, and his rage subsided. In its place was nothing, only an aching emptiness.

***

"What possessed you?," Phoebe demanded of Keith the next morning.

He grinned. "Call it an uncontrollable impulse."

"I call it insanity!," she burst out. "You can't imagine how furious he was. He called me names! I-I think he's insane."

"He is," Keith agreed with complacent satisfaction. "He's insane about you. Vicky thinks too."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "You're _all _insane. I have to work up there with him. How am I going to do that?"

Keith chuckled. "Very, very cautiously," he advised.

Within an hour Phoebe knew exactly what Keith meant, and during the days that ensued she began to work at a demonic pace that kept everyone, from his top executives to the lowest mail boys, rushing frantically to keep up with him and trying to avoid the lash of his temper.

If he was satisfied with someone's efforts, he was coolly courteous. But if he wasn't satisfied-and he usually wasn't-he tore into the offender with an icy savagery that chilled Phoebe's blood. Patricia Callahan, who called him at least three times a day, he was always positively charming. No matter how busy he was, or what he was doing at the time, he always had time for Patricia. And whenever she called he would pick up the phone and lean back in his chair. From her desk Phoebe could hear the lazy, seductive huskiness that vibrated in his deep voice when he spoke to the other women, and her heart twisted every time.

That Thursday evening Cole was scheduled to leave for Singapore, and Phoebe was eager to see him go. After so many days of tension, of being treated as if the sight of her revolted him, she felt her composure crumbling, and she restrained her temper and tears by nothing but sheer force of will. 

At four o'clock, two hours before his departure time, Cole called Phoebe into the conference room to take notes during a meeting of the financial staff. The meeting was under way, and Phoebe's attention was riveted on her shorthand notebook, her pen flying across the pages, when Cole's voice slashed into the proceedings. "McGuire!," he snapped murderously, "if you can tear your attention from Miss Haliwell bust, the rest of us will be able to finish this meeting." Phoebe flushed a vivid pink, but the elderly McGuire turned a purple hue that might be indicative of an impending stroke.

As soon as the last staff member had filed out of the conference room, Phoebe turned furiously. "I hope you're satisfied!," she hissed furiously. "You not only humiliated me, you nearly have that poor old man a heart attack. What do you plan to do for an encore?"

"Fire the first woman who opens her mouth," Cole retorted coldly. He walked around her and strode out of the conference room. 


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Phoebe took a cab back home. Back home, ignoring Piper and Paige whom immediately jumped up when they saw Phoebe's expression, she went straight to the phone. "Vicki?," she said when the other women answered. "I'm not feeling well today, I won't be going to work today."

Wrapped in her robe, she told the whole story to Piper and Paige who listen carefully. Paige immediately got angry, "I can't believe Cole is such an asshole! He wants you to be his mistress! What an asshole!"

Phoebe stared miserably at her sisters. "I don't know what to do"

"Quit your damn job," both of them said at the same time. 

"Phoebe," Piper said patiently, "why are you pretending to us that your job is a fantastic one? So what if Keith is working there? I don't want you to be miserable at your job, I want you to be happy"

Phoebe stared at her. "Have you been quoting from your favorite romance book again?"

Piper trace circles on her mattress. "Well, it suits the mood now, doesn't it?"

Paige shove Piper impatiently. "Phoebe, if you can't stand seeing Cole anymore, just quit your job, look for another one. I'm sure they're plenty in the newspaper. With your experience, I'm sure many company will take you. Keith is not the only cute guy around you know.."

"You're right. Both of you are right," Phoebe said. 

***

"Feeling better?," Keith asked the next morning. Dryly, he added, "Vicky said that after being humiliated at the meeting room, and she said that's what made you ill."

Phoebe's face was pale but composed as she closed his office door and handed him the sheet of paper she'd just rolled out of her typewriter.

He unfolded it and scanned the four simple lines. "You're resigning for personal reasons-what the hell does that mean? What personal reasons?"

"I can't stand working for Cole any longer, I can't stand being humiliated all the time when I'm there either by Cole, Curtis, or Patricia"

Shock jerked him erect in his chair. "Is that it?"

"You ask me why I was resigning."

He watched her silently, the rigidity slowly fading from his features. "I can't let you quit. I won't let you"

Phoebe gaped at him. "What are you talking about? Why won't you let me resign. Didn't you hear me? I can't stand working here with Cole. I have never enjoyed working here at all, well except with you, here, but still.. I'm quitting whether you want it or not"

"If you resign without notice like this, I won't give you a good reference," Keith threatened.

"I don't expect one."

Keith watched her leave his office. For several minutes he was still, his brows drawn together in a thoughtful frown. Then he slowly reached out and picked up the telephone.

***

"Mr. Turner." the secretary bent down beside Cole, her voice lowered to avoid disturbing the seven other major U.S industrialists seated around the conference table discussing an international trade agreement. "I'm sorry to disturb you, sir, but there's a Mr. Keith Evans on the phone for you..."

Cole nodded, already sliding his chair back, his face betraying none of the alarm he felt over this emergency interruption. He couldn't imagine what disaster could have arisen that would warrant Phoebe's having Keith call him here. The secretary showed him to a private room, and Cole snatched up the telephone. "Keith, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just needed some guidance."

"Guidance?," Cole repeated in angry disbelief. "I'm in the middle of an international trade meeting and-"

"I know, so I'll be quick. The new sales manager I hired can come to work-"

Cole swore in irritation. "So what?," he snapped.

"Well, the reason I'm calling is because I wanted to know if it would be all right if he reports for work in October, or if you'd rather-"

"I can't believe this!," Cole interrupted furiously. "I don't give a damn when he starts, and you know it. What else?"

"That's about all," Keith replied imperturbably. "How's Singapore?"

"Windy!," Cole snarled. "So help me, if you've gotten me out of this meeting just to ask me that-"

"Okay, I'm sorry. I'll let you go. Oh, by the way, Phoebe resigned this morning."

The announcement bit Cole like a slap in the face. "I'll talk to her on Monday when I get back."

"You won't be able to-her resignation's effective immediately. I think she plans to leave for Missouri tomorrow."

"You must be losing your touch," Cole gritted sarcastically. "Usually they fall in love with you, and you have to transfer them to another division to get them out of your hair. Phoebe saved you the trouble."

"She's not in love with me."

"That's your problem, not mine."

"The hell it is! You wanted to play bedtime games with her, and when she wouldn't, you worked her until she was pale and exhausted. She's in love with you, and you've made her take messages from other women, made her-"

"Phoebe doesn't give a damn about me!," Cole snapped furiously, "and I haven't got time to discuss her with you."

He slammed the phone into the cradle and stalked back into the conference room. Seven men glanced at him with mixture of polite concern and accusation. By mutual agreement, none of them was taking calls except in extreme emergency. Cole sat down in his chair and curtly said, "I apologize for the interruption. My secretary overestimated the importance of a problem and had the call forwarded here."

Cole tried to concentrate on the business at hand and nothing else, but visions of Phoebe kept floating through his mind. In the middle of a heated discussion over marketing rights, he saw Phoebe laughing, her face turned up to the sun, her hair blowing around her shoulders as they sailed in his boat. 

Jealousy had been driving him insane for two weeks. Every time her phone rang, he wondered which lover was calling her. Every time a man looked at her in the office, he had a wild urge to smash the man's teeth down his throat. 

Tomorrow she'd be gone. On Monday he wouldn't see her. It was best for both of them. it was best for the whole goddamned corporation; his own executives were sliding out of the way when they saw him coming!

The meeting adjourned at eight o'clock, and when dinner was over, Cole excused himself to go up to his suite. He spent an hour and a half on the telephone in his suite, returning calls and dealing with business matters that had arisen in his absence. When he hung up, it was nearly eleven. he walked over to the windows and gazed out. 

Phoebe was leaving. Keith said she was pale and exhausted. What if she was ill? What is she was pregnant? Once he had been the only man she'd ever known. _Now she could probably teach him things_, he thought bitterly.

Cole stretched out on the bed. _It was just as well that she was leaving_, he decided furiously. 

***

The meeting reconvened at precisely ten o'clock the following morning. Because all the men present were industrial giants whose time was extremely valuable, everyone was punctual. The chairman of the committee looked at the six men seated around the conference table and said, "Cole Turner will not be here today. He asked me to explain that he was called back to San Francisco this morning on an urgent matter."

"We all have urgent matters pending," one of the members growled. "What the hell is Turner's problem that he can't be here?"

"He said it's a labor relations problem."

"That's no excuse!," another member exploded. "We all have labor relations problems."

"I reminded Cole of that," the chairman replied.

"What did he say?"

"He said that _nobody_ has a labor relations problem like his."


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Phoebe carried another armload of her belongings out to her car. Piper and Paige follow meekly behind. 

"I can't believe you're doing this, are you gonna give up so easily?," Paige ask angrily. 

Phoebe looks at her and smile. "Yes, I'm sorry to disappoint you as your sister, okay. Look, I'm just going for a while, I'll be back. It's not as if we won't be seeing each other anymore"

"But..."

"There is no buts anymore. I've had it with buts controlling my life. I'm going up to tale my clothes down," Phoebe said. Upstairs, she put on another pair of shoes and closed the last suitcase. All she had to do now is say goodbye to her sisters. Tears burned her eyes, and she brushed them away with impatient fingertips. Picking up her suit-case, she carried it downstairs. 

Halfway across the living room she heard footsteps coming from the kitchen behind her. "Perfect timing you guys, coming to take my luggage when I've brought it down already." She turns around and then froze as Cole stalked out of the kitchen. She saw the reckless glitter in his eyes as he come toward her, and her mind screamed in her head; what is Cole Turner doing here?

Panicked, she dropped the suitcase and started edging away. In her haste she caught the backs of her knees on the arm of the sofa, lost her balance and landed flat on her on the cushions.

His eyes gleaming with amusement, Cole looked at the delectable beauty sprawled invitingly across the sofa. "I'm flattered, honey, but I'd like something to eat first. What are you serving-besides baked shoes?"

Warily Phoebe scrambled to her feet. Despite his humorous tone, there was an iron grimness in the set of his jaw, and every powerful muscle of his body was tensed. She took a cautious step out of his reach. 

"Stand still," he ordered softly. 

Phoebe froze again. "What..why aren't you at the international trade meeting?,"she looks around him, trying to find Paige and Piper.

"Looking for Paige and Piper, I ask them if I could spend some time alone with you"

Phoebe said with aghast, "And they let you?"

"Paige didn't, but Piper calmed her down," Cole said in a non-committed voice. 

"Why aren't you at the international trade meeting?," she repeated.

"As a matter of fact," he drawled, "I've asked myself that same question several times this morning. I asked myself that question when I walked out on seven men who require my vote on vitally important issues. I asked myself that question on the way here, when the woman in the seat beside me on the plane threw up in a bag."

Phoebe choked back a nervous giggle. He was tense, he was angry, but he wasn't furious. 

"I asked myself that question," he continued, advancing a step, "when I practically jerked an old man out of the back seat of a taxi and took it myself, because I was afraid I'd get here too late."

Phoebe tried desperately to decipher his mood and couldn't. "Now that you're here," she said shakily, "what do you want?"

"I want you."

"I told you-"

"I know what you told me," Cole interrupted impatiently. You told me I'm arrogant, egotistical. And I remember you saying I was too old for you did I remember correctly?"

She nodded. 

"Phoebe, I am only three years older that I was when we were married. Even though I _feel _a hell of a lot older than I did then. But the fact is you didn't think I was too old for you then, and you don't really think so today. Now, I'll unload your car and you can start unpacking your things."

"I'm going, Cole," Phoebe said with quiet determination. 

"No, you're not," he said implacably. "You belong to me, and if you force me to. I'll carry you up to bed and make you admit it there."

Phoebe knew he could do exactly that. She backed away another step. "All you would prove is that you can physically overpower me. Nothing I admitted there would count. What does matter is that I don't want to belong to you in an way!"

Cole smiled somberly. "I want to belong to you...in every way."

Phoebe's heart flung itself against her ribs. What did he mean, belong? She knew instinctively he wasn't offering marriage, but at least he was offering himself. 

Cole spoke, his coaxing voice tinged with desperation. "Consider what an amoral, unprincipled cynic I am-think of all the improvements you could make to my character."

The simultaneous urge to laugh and weep snapped Phoebe's control. Her hair tumbled forward in a heavy curtain as she bent her head and fought back tears. She was going to do it; she was going to let herself become that sordid cliché-the secretary in love with her boss, having a secret affair with him. She was going to gamble her pride and self-respect on the chance that she could make him love her.

"Phoebe," Cole said hoarsely, "I love you."

Her head shot up. Unable to believe her ears, she stared at him through tear-glazed eyes.

Cole saw her tears and his heart sank with bitter defeat. "Don't you dare cry," he warned tersely, "I'm sorry for what I said and done...". His words trailed off as Phoebe unexpectedly flung herself into his arms, her shoulders shaking. Uncertainly, he tipped her chin up and gazed at her face. Her thick lashes were spiky with tears, and her blue eyes were drenched with them. She tried to speak and Cole tensed, braced for the rejection he had dreaded all the way from Singapore.

"I think you are so beautiful," she whispered brokenly. "I think you are the most beautiful-"

A low groan tore from Cole's chest, and he smothered her mouth with his. Devouring her lips with the insatiable hunger that had been torturing him for weeks, he crushed her melting, pliant body to the rigid, starved contours of his own. He kissed her fiercely, tempestuously, tenderly, and still he could not get enough of her. At last he dragged his mouth from hers, fighting down the rampaging demands of his body, and held her in his arms, pressed against his pounding heart. 

When he didn't move for several minutes, Phoebe leaned back in his arms and raised her face to his. He saw the question in her eyes and the willing acceptance of his decision. She would lie beside him here, or anywhere else he chose.

"No," he murmured tenderly. "Not like this. I'm not going to walk in here and rush you into bed."

The impudent beauty in his arms smiled one of her bewitching smiles. "Are you really hungry? I could fix you some sautéed stockings to go with the shoes. Or would you prefer something more conventional, like an omelette?"

Cole chuckled and brushed a kiss over her smooth forehead. "I'll have my housekeeper to fix something for me while I shower. Then I'm going to get some sleep. I didn't get any last night," he added meaningfully. 

Phoebe gave him a look of sham sympathy, which earned her another kiss.

"I suggest you sleep too, because when we come back from the party tonight, we're going to bed, and I intend to keep you awake until morning."

In fifteen minutes he had unloaded her car. "I'll pick you up at nine," he said when he was ready to leave. "It's black tie; do you have something formal to wear?"

"Where are we going?"

"To the Children's Hospital Benefit Ball at the Notch Hotel. I'm one of the sponsors, so I have tickets every year."

"That doesn't sound very discreet," Phoebe said uneasily. "Someone may see us together there."

"Everyone will see us together. It's one of the social highlights of the year, which is why I want to take you. I want everyone to know that I'm together with you now"

***

"Cooole?," Patricia sang into his office dressed as his date to the Children Hospital Benefit Ball. _So what if he doesn't know? He's going to take me anyway. _

"Hmm, Ms. Callahan?," Curtis asked uncertainly. "I think you better look at this". She pointed at the television.

"We're live outside Notch Hotel where they're hosting the Children's Hospital Benefit Ball. We're waiting for a glimpsed of Cole Turner and wondering who might his lovely companion would be.. Oh, there he is, he has just reach the premises, wait, is he alone? No, by his smiling face, he's helping his companion out of his limo, and would you take a look at that? It's his ex-wife, Phoebe Haliwell...."

Patricia's eyes burned with jealousy and raged. "What the hell is she doing with Cole? Didn't they just had an argument and quit her job? What the hell is she doing with him!," she hissed. She swung towards Curtis. "I thought you said you were handling this!". She stab a finger at Phoebe's smiling face on the TV.

"I..I've thought of a plan, but I didn't know you wanted me to act it out so soon-"

"Do it now! Do anything, as long as you can get rid of Phoebe Haliwell out of Cole's life!"


	15. chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

After the party, they went back to her place. _It was after 2AM, Piper and Paige are probably asleep now_, she thought. Cole lifted her satin cape off her shoulders and draped it over the armoire. It was after 2AM, Piper and Paige are probably asleep now. His hands went to the buttons on his tuxedo jacket, and as he started to take it off, Phoebe experienced a trill of excitement. Turning, she walked over to the windows, trying to steady herself. She heard Cole come up behind her. "Would you like a drink?," she asked in a trembling voice.

"No," His arm slid around her waist, drawing her back against him as he bent his head and pressed a tantalizing kiss against her temple. Phoebe's breathing became shallow and rapid as his warm lips touch her ear, then her nape, and his hands began moving lazily over her midriff. 

By the time his hands went to her shoulders, turning her into his arms, quick, piercing stabs of desire were shooting through Phoebe's entire body. His parted lips touched hers as his arms drew her gently to his hardened length. He kissed her with a slow, melting hunger, which deepened moment by moment to a burning insistence and then burst into a ravenous urgency. Phoebe pulled back and started to unfasten the studs from his shirtfront. 

Somewhere in the recesses of his passion-drugged mind Cole was aware that Phoebe was kissing him as she had never kissed him before. He looked down at her graceful hands, and his traitorous mind instantly replayed the moment when they were married-except that he had to put her hand on his shirt and urge her to unbutton it. She had obviously gained a great deal of experience since then. 

Icy regret and disappointment poured through him, and he covered her fingers with his hands, stopping her. "Fix me a drink, will you?," he said, hating himself for what he was thinking and the way he was feeling about her. 

Taken back by the tired, defeated bitterness in his voice, Phoebe dropped her hands. She went over to the bar, fixed him a bourbon and water and gave it it to him. She saw his lips twist in a humorless smile when he noted that she remembered exactly what he preferred to drink, but without commenting on it, he lifted it to his lips and drank.

Phoebe was bewildered by his attitude, but she was utterly stunned by his next words. Lowering the glass, he said, "Let's get it over with, so I can stop wondering. How many have there have been?"

Phoebe stared at him. "How many what?"

"Lovers," he clarified bitterly.

She could hardly believe her ears. After treating her as if her standards of morality were childish, after acting as if promiscuity was a virtue, after telling her how men preferred experience women, he was jealous. 

Phoebe didn't know whether to hit him, burst out laughing or hug him. Instead she decided to exact just a tiny bit of revenge for all the misery and uncertainty he had put her through. Turning, she walked over to the bar and reached for a bottle of white wine. "Why should the number make any difference?," she asked innocently. "You've told me once that men don't prize virginity anymore, and they don't expect or want a woman to be inexperienced. Right?" (*He told her this before they were married*) 

"Right," he said grimly, glowering at the ice cubes in his glass.

"You also said," she continued, biting back a smile, "that women have the same physical desires men have, and that we have the right to satisfy them with whomever we wish. You were very emphatic about that-"

"Phoebe," he warned in a low voice, "I asked you a simple question. I don't care what the answer is, I just want an answer so I can stop wondering. Tell me how many there were. Tell me if you liked them, if you didn't give a damn about them, or if you did it to get even with me. Just tell me. I won't hold it against you."

_Like hell you wouldn't!_ Phoebe thought happily as she struggled to uncork the bottle of wine. "Of course you won't hold it against me," she said lightly. "You specifically said-"

"I know what I said," he snapped tersely. "Now, how many?"

She flicked a glance in his direction, implying that she was bewildered by his tone. "Only one."

Angry regret flared in his eyes, and his body tensed as if he had just felt a physical blow. "Did you...care about him?"

"I thought I loved him at that time," Phoebe said brightly, twisting the corkscrew deeper into the cork. 

"All right. Let's forget him," Cole said curtly. He finally noticed her efforts with the wine bottle and walked over to help her. 

"Are you going to be able to forget him?" Phoebe asked, admiring the ease with which he managed the stubborn cork. 

"I will...after a while."

"What do you mean, after a while? You said there was nothing promiscuous about a woman satisfying her biological-"

"I know what I said, dammit!"

"Then why do you look so angry? You didn't lie to me, did you?"

"I didn't lie," he said, slamming the bottle onto the bar and reaching for a glass from the cabinet. "I believed it at the time."

"Why?," she goaded.

"Because it was convenient to believe it," he bit out. "I was not in love with you then."

Phoebe loved him more at that moment than ever. "Would you like me to tell you about him?"

"No," he said coldly.

Her eyes twinkled, but she backed a cautious step out of his reach. "You would have approved of him. He was tall, dark and handsome, like you. Very elegant, sophisticated and experienced. He wore down my resistance in two days, and-"

"Dammit, stop it!," Cole grated in genuine fury.

"His name is-"

Cole braced both hands on the liquor cabinet, his back to her. "I do not want to hear this!"

"Cole Turner," Phoebe clarified.

The relief Cole experienced was so intense that he hardly knew how to cope with it. He straightened and turned toward her. Phoebe was standing in the center of the room, an angel in seductive black velvet, an exquisitely sensual young beauty with unconscious poise in every graceful line of her body. There was a fineness about her, a quiet pride in herself that had prevented her from becoming a convenient receptacle for the passions of boys and men.

She love him.

He could make her his mistress, or he could make her his wife again. In his heart he knew that she has always belonged at his side as his bride; anything less would destroy her pride and shame her. That beautiful body of hers had been offered only to him. He could not accept her gift and her love and in return offer her some obscure, tenuous thing called a "meaningful relationship." Although she was very young he loved her, and she was wise enough not to play games with his life. 

He looked at her in silence, and then he drew a long deep breath. "Phoebe," he began gravely, "I would like four daughters with wobbly blue eyes and studious horn-rimmed glasses on their little noses. Also, I've become very partial to your hair, so if you could manage..." He saw the tears of joyous disbelief filling her eyes, and he jerked her into his arms, crushing her against his heart, jarred by the same emotions that were shaking her. "Darling, please don't cry. Please don't," he whispered thickly, kissing her forehead, her cheek and finally her lips...

***

Dozens of watchful, speculative faces turned to watch Phoebe's progress through the office Monday morning. Bewildered, she hung up her coat and continued to her desk, where she found Vicki and a half dozen other women gathered around it.

"What's up?," she asked. She felt radiantly happy; and felt like everyone should too.

"You tell us," Vicki said gaily. "Isn't that you?". She plunked the Sunday newspaper down on Phoebe's desk and smoothed it out.

Phoebe's eyes widened. An entire page had been devoted to the Children's Hospital Benefit Ball. In the center was a color picture of her-with Cole. They were dancing, and he was grinning down at her. Phoebe's face was in profile, tilted up to his.

"It does look like me, doesn't it?," she hedged, glancing at the excited, avidly curious faces surrounding her desk. "Isn't that an amazing coincidence?" She didn't want her relationship with Cole to be public knowledge until the time was right, and she certainly didn't want her co-workers to treat her any differently.

"You mean it isn't you?," one on the women said disappointedly. Curtis step in front of her and snatch the paper out of Phoebe's hands and sneered at the picture.

"This is Phoebe?," she sneers, then pointedly look Phoebe up and down, "you're kidding right?", and threw the paper on the desk and smugly walk away. None of them noticed the sudden lull, the silence sweeping over the office as people stopped talking and typewriters went perfectly still...

"Good morning, ladies," Cole's deep voice said behind Phoebe. Six stunned women snapped to attention, staring in fascinated awe as Cole leaned over Phoebe from behind and braced his hands on her desk. "Hi," he said, his lips so near her ear that Phoebe was afraid to turn her head for fear he would kiss her in front of everyone. He glanced at the newspaper spread out on her desk. "You look beautiful, but who's that ugly guy you're dancing with?" Without waiting for an answer, he straightened, affectionately rumpled the hair on top of her head and strolled into Keith's office closing the door behind him.

Phoebe felt like sinking through the floor in embarrassment. Vicki raised her brows. "What an amazing coincidence," she teased.

Cole came out of Keith's office a few minutes later and asked Phoebe to come upstairs with him. Once they were in his office, he pulled her into his arms for a long, satisfying kiss. "I missed you," he whispered, then he sighed and reluctantly released her, linking his hands behind her desk. "I'm going to miss you even more-I have to leave for Casano in an hour"

With a final hug he let her go, then he went over to his desk and began shoving papers into his briefcase. "We have four labs testing samples of Danner's formula right now. Within three weeks we should know whether he's a genius or a fake"

Phoebe listened to his rapid-fire monologue with an inward smile of admiration. Being married to Cole was going to be like living on the fringe of a tornado, and she was going to be caught up in the whirl.

"By the way," he said, so casually that Phoebe was instantly on guard, "a magazine reporter called this morning. They know we're getting married. When the story breaks, I'm afraid the press will start hounding you."

"How did they find out?" Phoebe gasped.

He shot her a glinting smile. "I told them."

Everything was happening so quickly that Phoebe felt dazed. "Did you happen to tell them when and where we're getting married?," she chided.

"I told them soon." He closed his briefcase and drew her out of the chair in which she had just sat down. "Do you want a big church wedding with a cast of hundreds-or could you settle for me in a little chapel somewhere, with just your family and a few friends? When we come back from our honeymoon we could throw a huge party, and that would satisfy our social obligations to everyone we know."

"You and a chapel," she said.

"Good." He grinned. "Because I would go quietly insane waiting to make you mine. I'm not a patient man."

When he left, Phoebe leaned back against his desk and started straightening his papers on the desk. When she heard footsteps coming into the office she smiled. "Have you forgotten something?"

"You think you're smart bitch"

Phoebe spun around and saw Patricia standing in front of her, hands on her hips. "Do you think you can humiliate me and walk away without a scratch?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I know about you, about to become his fiancé. Well, the wedding is not going to happen," Patricia said confidently, "When he realize what he's doing is wrong, he'll come back to me. Men always do"

"You're talking as if Cole is your pet, dog" Phoebe said in disbelief. 

"He will be, soon. Time is running out for you Phoebe Haliwell, in this company, and in Cole's life," Patricia said, toss her blonde hair and went out leaving her perfume lingering in the air. Phoebe puzzled a little. _What did Patricia meant? _Thinking Patricia was talking in the heat of the moment, she shook her head and went back to work. 


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Phoebe walked into the office, but before she could reach her table, Vicki stop her with a brilliant smile.

Phoebe sighed. "No Curtis, I don't have time to do your work.."

"Please Phoebe, I'm really really busy right now, what you have to do is really simple!," Vicki pressured her. "All you have to do is, just pass this envelope to a guy in a blue Toyota right outside this building...please?". 

After a few bribery, then Phoebe finally decided to bring the envelope down. On the way down, she was wondering what was so important that she has to pass the envelope down straight away. As she walked across the lobby, the blue Toyota pulled at the curb. The window on her side moved down electronically, and Phoebe leaned into the car to hand the person inside the envelope.

"Thank you so much young lady, I knew you'll understand how important this is to us," he said and took out another envelope for her, "this is for your help" and then he was gone. Phoebe stared at the envelope, puzzled and went back into the building. She couldn't find Vicki anywhere so she put the the envelope inside the table for safe keeping and went back home.

***

"Thank god you're back!," Christine (his main secretary) burst out the next morning when Cole strode swiftly into his office, followed by Keith. "Jim Walsh needs to talk to you immediately. He says it's an emergency."

"Have him come up," Cole said, shrugging out of his suit jacket. "And then come and join us in a toast. I'm about to whisk Phoebe off to Las Vegas to get married. The plane is being refueled and checked out right now."

"Does Phoebe know about this?," Christine said, frowning. "She's downstairs in Keith's office, hard at work."

"I'll convince her of the wisdom of the plan."

"When the plane is airborne and she has no choice," Keith put in with a knowing smile.

"Exactly." Cole grinned in high good spirits. He had missed her so much that he'd called her three times a day, every day, like a lovesick schoolboy. "Make yourself comfortable," he added over his shoulder. Reaching into a wide closet that held several changes of clothing, he took out a fresh shirt.

Five minutes later, he walked out of the bathroom, freshly shaven, and glanced at Jim Walsh and the round-faced man who were standing near the couch where Keith were seated. "What's up, Jim?," he asked, going over to the bar and removing a bottle of champagne, his back to the others.

"There's a security leak in the Danner project," the attorney began cautiously.

"Go on," he urged evenly.

"Evidently," the attorney continued, "there's a woman on our payroll who appears to have photocopied four of Mantafor's bids. Yesterday she was caught in the camera, passing those documents.. We have in our possession a set of the copies she passed to them to use as proof in court. "

"And this," he toss to the table a thick envelope, "Was found in her drawer. It's full of hundred dollar notes."

"That son of a-" Cole fought down his blaze of fury, trying not to let his animosity for his competitor spoil his mood. This was his wedding day. Coolly he said, "Keith, I'm going to do what I should have done five years ago. I'm going to put him out of business. From now on, I want Mantafor to bid on every job he bids on, and I want you to bid below our cost. Is that clear? I want that bastard out of our hair!"

When Keith murmured agreement, Jim continued. "We can swear out a warrant for the young woman's arrest. I've already discussed the matter with Judge Spade, and he is ready to do as soon as you give the word."

"Who is she?," Keith demanded when Cole seemed more interested in poring champagne into his glass. 

"Phoebe Haliwell," the attorney said. "Cole, I know she's been working for you personally. The publicity involved in her arrest will definitely help discourage anyone else who might consider spying on us, but I waited to talk to you before we pressed charges against her. Shall I-"

Cole's voice was strangled with fury and pain. "Go back to your office," he ordered, "and wait there. I'll call you." 

"Cole-." Keith spoke to Cole's back.

"Get out!," Cole voice lashed like a whip crack, then became dangerously controlled. "Christine, call Phoebe and have her come up here in ten minutes. Then you can take the day off."

In a tomblike silence that followed their departure, Cole straightened from the bar and tossed down the champagne he had poured to celebrate his marriage to an angel. A princess with laughing eyes who had walked into his life and turned it upside down. Phoebe was spying on him, betraying him to his competitor. 

His heart shouted a denial, but his mind knew it was true. He wanted to strangle her for her treachery, to murder her with his own hands. 

He wanted to die.

***

Phoebe glanced at the three security guards who were standing in Cole's private reception area as she hurried toward his office. They watched her, their expressions strangely alert, wary. She smiled slightly as she passed them, but only one of them responded-he nodded, a curt unfriendly inclination of his head.

At Cole's office door she paused to smooth her hair. Her hand trembled with mixture of delight at seeing him again. "Welcome back," she said, walking into his suite.

Cole was standing at the window with his back to her, one hand braced high against the frame, staring out across the city. The drapes were drawn over the remainder of the glass wall, and none of the lights had been turned on to dispel the gloom of a prematurely dark and rainy day. 

"Close the door," he said softly. His voice sounded strange, but his back was toward her as she walked to him and she couldn't see his face.

"Did you miss me, Phoebe?," he asked, still without turning.

Phoebe smiled at the question he always asked her when he had been away from her. "Yes," she admitted, boldly sliding her arms around his waist from behind. His body seemed to tense at her touch, and when she rubbed her cheek against his broad, muscular back, it felt as hard as iron.

"How much did you miss me?," he whispered silkily.

His hand came down from the window, and he turned. Without looking at her he walked over to the sofas and sat down. "Come over here," he invited smoothly.

Phoebe obediently went over to the sofa and stood looking down into his handsome, shadowed face, trying to read his strange mood. His expression was impassive, almost aloof, but when she started to sit beside him, he caught her wrist and pulled her onto his lap.

"Show me how much you want me," he urged.

There was an odd note in his voice that sent unexplainable alarm dancing down Phoebe's spine, but it was promptly squelched by the commanding insistence of his mouth on hers. He kissed her thoroughly, expertly and Phoebe helplessly surrendered to the torrid demands of his lips. He pulled away and stood up. "That was nice honey, how much do I have to pay you now?"

"What?," Phoebe asked puzzled.

"You do realize what you've done right?"

"What have I done?"

"Where did you go yesterday?"

"After working, I went straight home. What is going on here?," Phoebe asked getting a little frighten.

"Explain that," he ordered in a terrifying whisper and push the envelope she took from the man yesterday onto the floor. Her eyes bulged when she saw money notes. "I got that envelope from that man-"

"So you're not denying it?"

"Denying..Of course I admit I took the envelope from that guy. I pass him the envelope-"

"-which contain Mantafor's bids, which I specifically told you never to tell anyone"

Phoebe was shocked. "I... Vicki..."

"Are you blaming Vicki now? Curtis herself saw you photocopying those bids and the camera caught you giving those bids to our competitor," he said in a menacingly soft voice.

"Curtis...," Phoebe whispered, _What is going on here? I didn't photocopy anything, so how could Curtis saw me photocopying those bids..._

"Cole...!," Phoebe cried out, terrified by the black rage, the virulent hatred blazing in his eyes. "I can explain everything, C-" 

"Phoebe," he interrupted menacingly, "Will you still love me five years from now when you get out of prison?"

"Oh Cole, please listen to me," she implored brokenly. "Please listen to me, don't do this to us!"

Cole jerked her arms loose, and she crumpled to the floor, her shoulders racked with deep choking sobs. "I love you so much," she wept hysterically. "Why won't you listen to me? Why? I'm begging you to just listen to me."

"Get up!," he snapped. He had already started toward the door. Her chest heaving with convulsive silent sobs, Phoebe straightened her clothing, braced a hand on the coffee table and slowly pushed herself to her feet. 

Cole wrenched the door open and the security guards stepped forward. "get her out of here," he ordered icily.

Phoebe stared in paralyzed terror at the men coming purposely toward her. They were taking her to jail. Her gaze flew to Cole, silently imploring him for the last time to listen, to believe, to stop this.

With his hands in his pockets, he returned her gaze without flinching, his chiseled features a mask of stone, his eyes like chips of gray ice. Only the muscle jerking in tightly clenched jaw betrayed the fact that he was feeling any emotion at all.

The three armed guards surrounded her, and one of them took her by the elbow. Phoebe yanked free, her eyes deep pools of pain. "Don't touch me," Without looking back, su he walked with them out of his office and across the silent, deserted reception area.

When the door closed behind her, Cole went over to the sofa. Sitting down with his forearms resting on his knees, he stared at the money, scattered around the floor. He covered his face with his hands.

***

The silent guards Phoebe across the marble lobby, which was crowded with late-departing employees. In the press of so many people, Phoebe was spared the humiliation of curious onlookers. Everyone else was rushing home, absorbed with individual thoughts. Not that she particularly cared who witnessed her shame; at the moment, she cared about nothing.

It was dark outside and raining, but Phoebe hardly felt the icy sting of the rain pelting against her thin silk blouse. She looked disinterestedly for the police car that she expected to see waiting at the curb, but there was none. The guard on her right also turned to leave, then he hesitated and said with curt compassion, "Do you have a coat, miss?"

Phoebe looked at him with pain-dazed eyes. "Yes," she said inanely. She did have a coat; it was with her purse in Keith's office.

The guard glanced uncertainly at the curb, as if he expected someone to pull over and offer her a ride. "I'll get it for you," he said, and walked back into the building with his companions.

Phoebe stood on the sidewalk, rain glazing her hair and pelting her face like a million icy hypodermic needles. Apparently she wasn't going to be in jail, after all. For a moment hop flared and burned painfully bright. "Keith!," she called when he were about to pass without seeing her.

Keith turned sharply, and Phoebe's stomach clenched at the bitter accusing fury in the single scathing glance he passed over her. "I have nothing to say to you," he snapped.

All hope dies inside of Phoebe and with its death came a blessed numbness. She tuned on her heel, shoved her frozen hands into the pockets of her tweed skirt and started walking down the street. Six steps later, Keith's hand grasped her arm, turning her around. "Here," he said, his expression just as hostile as before. "Take my coat."

Phoebe carefully pulled her arm from his grasp. "Don't touch me," she said calmly. "I don't ever want to be touched."

Alarm flickered in his gaze before he extinguished it. "Take my coat," he repeated tersely, already starting to remove it. "You'll freeze to death."

Phoebe found nothing unpleasant about the prospect of freezing to death. Ignoring his outstretched coat, she lifted her gaze to his. "Do you believe what Cole believes?"

"Every single word," he averred.

With her hair plastered to her head and the rain driving into her upturned face, Phoebe said with great dignity, "In that case, I don't want your coat." She started to turn, then stopped. "But you can give Cole a message for me when he finally discovers the truth." Her teeth chattered as she said, "T-tell him to stay away from me!"

Without thinking about where she was going, Phoebe automatically walked the eight blocks to the only people who would always be there for her. Piper and Paige. 


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Phoebe awoke in her warm comfortable bed. Her head was pounding ferociously as she struggled to her elbows and looked around. She had not died of exposure, she realized. How disappointing-how anticlimactic, she decided morbidly. Her body ached as if she'd been beaten.

She wondered when Cole would discover that Curtis had made up the whole thing. _Why would Curtis do that? Is it because I have insulted her in front of everybody? But why would she go through that length just to get me fired? Does she hate me that much?_

Phoebe threw back the heavy quilts and climbed slowly out of bed. She felt too sick too care about anything else. She felt even worst a few minutes later, when she walked into the kitchen and heard Paige on the telephone. Piper was sitting at the table sipping a cup of coffee. "Curtis," Paige was saying, her face furrowed stern lines, "this is Paige Haliwell. Let me talk to Vicki... Not in? On holiday? You're kidding right? What the hell are you playing at and what the hell is your problem? Put me to Cole, you bitch!"

Phoebe's heart thumped, but it was too late to stop her because she was already launching into a nonstop monologue. "Cole, this is Paige," she said. "You stupid idiot! How could you do this to Phoebe? It's all a stupid misunderstanding, and do u know that Curtis-What?" Her face turner angry. "Don't you use that tone of voice with me, Cole! I-" She got angry every minute, listening to whatever Cole was saying, then took the receiver away from her ear and looked at it as if it had just grown teeth. "Cole hung up on me," she told Piper.

Her angry face encountered Phoebe standing in the doorway. "Cole won't listen to me. What the hell is his problem? Sounds like he rather trust his stupid bitch of a secretary than you, his love of his life," she told her. "He told me that he never wants to hear your name, and if I try to speak to him about you again, he will totally break contact with the Haliwell family ever. Cole said that to me-he talked to me like that!," she repeated disbelievingly.

Phoebe started forward, her face pale with remorse. "Paige, don't bother calling him, he doesn't listen to me, what makes you think he'll listen to you?"

"No one talks to me like that and get away with it," Paige said, her jaw clenched. Ignoring her, she turned back to the phone and dialed with furious intent. "Christine," she said into the phone, "you put Cole back on the line now." She paused while Christine apparently asked her a question. "Yes" she replied, "you bet your life it's about Phoebe. What? Yes, she's here."

Paige handed the phone to Phoebe, her expression angry that she felt ill. "Cole won't talk to me," Paige said, "but Christina wants to talk to you."

With a mixture of hope and fear, Phoebe said, "Hello, Christine?"

Christina's voice was like an icicle. "Phoebe, you have done enough damage to those of us here who were foolish enough to trust you. If you have any decency at all, you'll keep your sisters out of this. Cole is not making idle threats-he meant what he said to Paige. Is that clear?"

Phoebe swallowed the lump of desolation in her throat. "Perfectly clear."

"Good. Then I suggest you stay where you are for the next hour. Our corporate attorney will deliver your possessions to you and explain your legal situation. Goodbye, Phoebe."

Phoebe sank into a chair at the table, too stunned to say anything to her sisters.

Paige's hand clamped reassuringly on her shoulder, and Phoebe drew a long, unsteady breath. "The attorney will be arriving soon." Paige and Piper were looking at her with helpless sympathy. She hadn't cried in years until she'd met Cole. After last night there would be no more tears. Ever. She had wept at his feet, begging him to listen to her. Just thinking of it made her cringe with mortification and fury. 

Later, Jim Walsh handed her her purse. "Your purse," Jim said. "Would you like to check the contents?"

Phoebe kept her face carefully expressionless. "No."

"Very well," he said curtly. "I'll come directly to the point. Miss Haliwell, Mantafor has sufficient evidence against you to charge you with theft, conspiring to defraud and several other serious crimes. At this time, the corporation is not going to insist on your arrest. However, if you are ever again seen on the premises of Mantafor, or any of its subsidiaries, the corporation can and will press charges against you for the crimes I just mentioned. A warrant for your arrest has already been prepared. If you are seen on our premises, the warrant will be signed, and you will be arrested. If you are in another state, we will insist on extradition."

He opened a large manila envelope and withdrew several sheets of paper. "This is a letter stating the terms I have just set out." He handed her a copy of the letter, along with an official-looking legal document. "This-" he indicated the document "-is an injunction, signed by the court, which now makes it illegal for you to set so much as one foot on Mantafor property. Do you understand?"

"Perfectly," Phoebe said, lifting her chin in silent rebellion.

"Do you have any questions?"

"Yes, I have two of them. Are you the one who discovered all this 'proof' against me?"

Jim's eyes were inquisitive and sharp. "Why do you ask, Miss Haliwell?"

Phoebe picked up her purse from the table. "Because whoever did it was not very good at his job. I suggest you keep a close tab on Curtis, sir."

***

Cole leaned back in his chair, watching while Jim and Patricia filed into his office. Jim spoke first. 

"Cole, there really is something weird about this case about Phoebe-"

Patricia said sharply. "Jim, there's absolutely nothing else to discuss. Phoebe did the crime, end of story"

"But the investigation on Phoebe-"

"I said-"

Cole slam his hand on the table so hard, the items on his table rattled at the vibration. Patricia and Jim quickly look at him. "What the hell is this? Patricia, I'm busy right now. I'll see you next time."

"But-," all reasons flew out the window when Cole narrowed his eyes at her. "I'll call you". And went out.

"Cole-," Jim said but stop when Cole stared at him and pointed at the door. Jim took the hint and went out. 

At 6pm, Cole was still I his office staring out the window. He heard a tiny knock at his door and frowned. Working hours was over an hour ago. "Who-"

"Mr. Turner?,"

Cole turned around and was surprise to see Vicki standing there trying to avoid eye contact with him. "What are you still doing here Vicki, working hours-"

"Sir, there's something important I have to tell you," Vicki blurted out, then quickly look at her shoes again. 

Cole sighed. "Vicki, we can discuss this tomorrow-"

"No sir, this cannot wait. It's regarding about Phoebe"

Cole's eyes flared. "Vicki, I don't have time to hear this-"

"Sir, Phoebe did not give those Photostat copies of Mantafor's bids," Vicki interrupted. "I know, because I was suppose to pass those envelopes to the man"

"What? Are you trying to tell me that YOU are the one who has been spying on us?," Cole barked.

Vicki quickly shook her head. "No sir! I would never do that to the company. I know who was sending those documents"

"Who?"

"It was Curtis sir, she told me to pass the envelope to a man who will be waiting outside the premises and she told me if I was too busy to do it, I could ask Phoebe to do it, and I did and the next thing I know, Curtis told me to take a week break. When I get back and found out about what happen to Phoebe, I was horrified and wanted to report everything back to you, but Curtis warn me, if I tell you anything, she'll make sure I get fired and I really can't lose this job, that's why I didn't dare say anything to you but until now... I can't do this to Phoebe.."

Cole stood up and brace his hands on the table, "You are that dumb, do you think Curtis has the power to fire you? Her position level is the same as yours. How cam she fire you when she doesn't have the power..". Cole finally understood. 

"Patricia"


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Patricia walks towards Curtis with an arrogant smile. Surprisingly, Curtis smile wasn't as cunning as last time. She sits in a chair in front of Curtis. 

"What's wrong? You look as if you swallowed a bear"

"Ms. Callahan," Curtis looks around her. "About that plan on Phoebe-"

"That was a job well done Curtis," Patricia smiles winningly. "And don't worry about your raise, you'll get it"

"It's not about the raise," Curtis says urgently, "I think Vicki confess to Mr. Turner already about the envelope..."

Patricia's smile disappears and reappears in a shock face. "What Curtis, are you trying to put the blame on me, because I don't know what plan you are talking about"

"Are you... trying to put all the blame on me? Because if I'm going down, you're coming with me," Curtis said angrily.

Patricia's eyes could melt steel. "Are you threatening me? No one threatens me. You thought of this plan, you set Phoebe, you are the cost of all this problem. If you're going down, you're going alone, and if you'll excuse me," Patricia stood up, "I've better things to do, then sit and talk to a secretary like you."

Patricia went into Cole's office without knocking. Cole was standing in front of his window looking at the busy streets. Patricia slid her hands from behind and lean her head on his back. "Hi," she said huskily. "Want to come over to my place and have a drink?"

Patricia felt a trill of excitement when he put his hands on her link hands, but was disappointed when he push her hands from him. "What's wrong Cole?". She was shocked when he turn around and grip her shoulders and push her away from him. "Hey!"

He took 3 gulps of air before he could calm himself down to talk to her. "Patricia, I won't be renewing the contract made by Mantafor and Pedingtion, which ends tomorrow"

Patricia gaped at him. "What?!"

"You're causing a lot of trouble for me and my company ever since me and your father had a contract together. You come to my office every day as if you have a right to and you make agreements with MY employees that you'll give them a raise for no apparent reasons and for your own benefits"

Patricia gave a loud cry of outrage, "Cole, what are you talking about? I don't simply give raises to our-"

"Our?," Cole gave a loud laugh. "There is no OUR, this is MY employees, I'll give them raises if I want, not you, not our, Me. There is no us, Patricia"

"You don't mean it."

"Yes." He had to nudge her back so she'd stop rubbing against him. "I do."

"It's Phoebe isn't it. It's always because of her."

"Phoebe and me has nothing to do with you and me. There is no you- Hey! Cut it out." She grabbed the lamp and heaved it at him. The best he could do was block it so the base didn't rap him between the eyes. 

The sound of the glass crashing on the floor snapped the already unsteady hold on his temper.

"Okay, that's it. get out. Get the hell out of my office and out of my building."

"You never cared. You never thought about my feelings. You never even gave me a chance."

"You're right, absolutely." He went for her as she made a beeline for his certificates hanging on the wall. "I didn't give a damn about you." He panted it out as he struggled to get her out without losing any of his own skin to her long, lethal nails. "I'm a pig, a creep, a son of a bitch."

She slam her heels on his leg and quickly ran to open his office door and screamed loudly. "I hate you!" She shrieked it. "I'm dumping you! You were never good enough for me! Do you hear me? I'm dumping you, loser!" And ran crying towards the elevator. Cole stared at her running back for a while and turn towards Christine. 

"Call the security to make sure that she runs OUT of the building and remind them next time to bar her from coming into the building from now onwards." He turns towards Curtis. "Curtis, in my office now"

***

The whole place was blanketed with a fresh carpet of snow. Cole pulled to a stop in front of Phoebe's house and turned off the ignition of the car. The slow, treacherous drive across snow-covered roads had been the easy part; facing Phoebe was going to be the difficult part.

His knock was answered immediately by Paige who stood and blinked for a while then change to open animosity. "What the hell do you want."

"I want to see Phoebe-"

"She doesn't want to see you," she interrupted.

"I've come to see her," Cole stated implacably, "and if I have to walk over you to get to her, I will."

"I believe he means it, Paige," Piper said, stepping into the hallway, her finger in a closed book she had been reading.

For a long moment, Piper studied the lines of strain and tension etched deeply into Cole's features. "Paige," she said quietly, "why don't we give Cole five minutes with Phoebe to see if he can change her mind. She's in the living room," she added, inclining her head over her shoulder in the direction of the Christmas carols playing on the stereo. 

"Five minutes, and that's all," Paige grumbled, following right on Cole's heels.

Cole turned to her. "Alone," he said determinedly. 

Paige opened her mouth to argue, but Piper intervened. "Alone, Paige."

Cole took two steps forward and stopped, his heart hammering uncontrollably in his chest.

Phoebe was standing on a stepladder, hanging tinsel on the upper branches of a Christmas tree. She looked heartbreakingly young in her trim jeans and bright green sweater and poignantly, vulnerably beautiful with her hair tumbling in burnished waves over her shoulders and back.

He ached to pull her off the ladder and into his arms, to carry her over the sofa and lose himself in her, to kiss and hold and caress her, to heal her pain with his body and hands and mouth.

Stepping down off the ladder, Phoebe knelt to pull more tinsel from the box lying beside the gaily wrapped packages beneath the tree. From the corner of her eye she glimpsed a pair of gleaming brown men's loafers. "My, your timing is terrific," she teased softly. "I've already finished. Does the star look all right on the top, or should I go to the attic and bring down the angel?"

"Leave the star on top," said an achingly gentle, deep voice. "There's already one angel in the room."

Phoebe's head jerked around, her gaze riveted on the tall, solemn man standing a few feet away from her. The color drained from her face as her mind registered the determination carved into every masculine feature, from his straight dark brows to the tough jut of his chin and jaw. Every line of his well-remembered body was emanating wealth, power and the same forceful magnetism that she ran from in her dreams at night.

His features had been seared into her brain; she remembered him perfectly. She also remembered the last time she had seen him; she had been on her knees then too-weeping at his feet. Humiliation and fury sent her surging upright. "Get out of here!" she blazed, too blinded by her own torment to see the tortured regret, the sorrow that darkened his gray eyes.

Instead of leaving, he came towards her.

Phoebe backed away one step and then held her ground, her whole body shaking with exploding violence. He reached for her, and she swung, slapping him full on his face. "I said get out!," she hissed. When he didn't move Phoebe lifted her hand in an incensed threat, "Damn you! Get out!"

Cole's gaze shifted to her raised palm. "Go ahead," he said gently.

Trembling with thwarted rage, Phoebe jerked her hand down and wrapped her arms around her stomach, moving sideways to escape him, trying to sidle around the tree, away from him, out of the room.

"Phoebe, wait-" He stepped into her path and reached for her.

"Don't touch me!," Phoebe almost screamed, recoiling wildly from his hand. She moved sideways to take the remaining three steps that would enable her to circle past him and out of the room. 

Cole was willing to let her do anything, _anything _to him, except to leave him. That he would not let her do, "Phoebe, please let me-"

"No!," she cried hysterically. "Stay away from me!"

She tried to run, and Cole caught her by the arms. She turned on him like a demented weeping wildcat, struggling wildly, striking out at him. "You bastard!," she screamed in hysterical, maddened pain, pounding on his chest, his shoulders. "You bastard! I begged you on my knees!"

it took all of Cole's strength to hold her until her fury was finally sent and she collapsed against him, her slim body racked with wrenching sobs. "You made me beg-," she wept brokenly in his arms "-you made me beg."

her tears tore at his heart, and her words slashed him like knives. He held her, staring blindly ahead, remembering the beautiful, laughing girl who had walked into his life and turned it upside down with her glowing smile.

His eyes stung with remorse and he closed them. "I'm sorry," he whispered hoarsely, "I'm sorry."

Phoebe heard the raw ache in his voice, and she felt the wall of icy numbness she'd built around herself begin to melt. She fought to blank out the exquisite beauty of being in his arms again, of being pressed against his big, strong body.

In the lonely weeks of sleepless nights and angry desolate days, she'd come to the quiet conclusion that Cole was incurably cynical and hard. His hands were moving up and down her back in a helpless comfort, spreading warmth wherever they touched her. Summoning the last vestiges of her self-control, Phoebe firmly pushed away from him. "I'm fine now. Really." She dragged her gaze to his fathomless eyes and said quietly, "I want you to leave now, Cole."

His jaw tightened and his whole body tensed at the calm deathly finality in her voice, but instead of leaving, he seemed to block her words from his mind, as if she had spoken in a language he didn't understand. With his eyes still holding hers, he reached into his jacket pocket and took out a flat box wrapped in silver paper. "I've brought you a present," he said.

Phoebe stared at him. "What?"

"Here," he said, lifting her hand and putting the box in it. "It's a Christmas present. It's for you-go ahead and open it."

"Open it now, Phoebe," he said. His face was carefully blank, but Phoebe saw the desperation in his eyes and the rigid tension in his powerful shoulders, and she knew that he expected her to reject his gift. And him.

She pulled her gaze from his and shakily removed the silver paper from the flat velvet box, which was discreetly embossed with the name of a famous jeweler. She opened the catch. On a bed of a white velvet was a spectacular ruby pendant in a shape of a key surrounded by a row of dazzling diamonds. She lifted quizzical eyes to him. 

"It's a key into my heart. I want you to come in really badly"

Tears of tenderness filled Phoebe's eyes, and sweetness pierced her heart.

Her voice was hoarse and tight, as if the words were being wrenched from him. "Please," he whispered. "Please..." He jerked her into his arms, crushing her to his lean, hard length, burying his face in her hair. "Oh please darling..."

"Phoebe? I've brought the plastic you ask me to-"

Cole and Phoebe broke apart and Cole, with a surprise face, saw Keith standing at the hallway carrying a plastic bag. 


	19. Ending

**Chapter 18**

"Keith?!," Cole said in surprise.

"Cole?!," Keith said at the same time.

Cole stared at him then his eyes turn cold. He turn towards Phoebe. "So, he's my replacement? That was quick of you"

Phoebe started protesting. "No Cole! You've got it all wrong! Keith and I-"

"-are lovers. I've been so stupid, coming here to apologize to you when you've already replace me," he interrupted. He stood up and began to stride towards the door. Keith block his way. 

Cole started to shove him out of the way. "What the-"

Keith shook his head. "I'm not letting you out of here, jumped to your own conclusion. Boy, do you always jump into conclusion"

Cole step back and stared at him. "I jumped into conclusion? Why, seeing you here with Phoebe tells me all I have to know. And I can't believe I call you my best friend. So long, buddy"

Keith took a hard swing towards Cole, slamming him straight towards the wall. Cole, didn't see it coming, saw stars for a while, then got up and stalk towards Keith. 

"Stop! Stop! What's wrong with both of you? You're behaving like little kids! Cole, you've got it all wrong, Keith is here to help me decorate the tree that's all, Cole, sometimes you can be such an idiot. You always assume any guy I'm with, I'm dating him. How can we be a couple when you never believe in me at all?"

Cole shove his hands into his hair and said quietly," Phoebe, I'm sorry-"

"Take your apologies out of my house, Cole. Get out of my house now."

Cole started towards her, then change his mind and walk defeatedly towards the door. Keith followed him. He turns towards Phoebe. "I'll talk to him"

Phoebe stared at him coldly. "You do that". And close the door in his face.

***

"I'm such a fool!," Cole muttered, and scowling, picked up his beer.

"You are," Keith said cheerfully then wink at the blonde a table away from him. "She's giving me the eye"

"Which eye?"

"The _eye_, you know. The blonde in the short skirt"

Cole considered his order of nachos. "There are one hundred and thirty-three blondes in short skirts in here. They all have eyes."

"The one two tables over to the left. Don't look."

Though he hadn't intended to, Cole shrugged. "What the hell am I gonna do. She probably won't even bother talking to me anymore."

"Don't give up, man. She obviously can't stop loving you. She cried buckets when you dump her in the office because you trusted your secretary when all the while Curtis was framing her-"

"Okay Okay, I know the details all right?," Cole scowled then rub his cheek. "It still hurts"

"Do you wanna let me kiss and make it better? But it'll have to be after I talk to the blonde. Okay, that was five full seconds of eye contact. I'm going in."

"My money's on you, pal." Then Cole muttered as Keith swaggered away, "She'll eat him alive."

He pushed aside the nachos without interest, lifted his beer again and spotted Patricia crossing the floor toward his table.

"Of all the pub in all the towns," he mumbled and took a longer, deeper drink.

"I thought you were playing husband with your Patricia." She'd decked herself out in a leather dress of electric red that coated her like a tattoo and screamed to an abrupt halt just pat her crotch. Her hair was in a thousand wild have-me-now curls, and her mouth was painted a hot, wed red. 

It occurred to him that it was just that look that had made him think with his glands when he'd first seen her. He said nothing, lifted his glass again and did his best to stare through her.

"You set the guards to prevent me from coming into your building." She leaned down, planting her palms on the table and her impressive breasts directly at eye level. "You got some nerve, Cole, I wanted to make things up with you, but you just blew it."

He flicked his gaze up to hers, then over her shoulder when one of her friends was pulling desperately at her arm and muttering her name.

His lips curved in a viciously could smile, and he pitched his voice just over the roar of music. "Why don't you do us all a favor and get her out of here?"

"I'm talking to you." Patricia jabbed a nail, painted the same wild red as her dress, into his chest. "You pay attention to me when I'm talking to you, you bastard."

The control snapped in, even as he imagined squeezing his hands around her neck until her eyes popped. "Back off."

She jabbed him again, hard enough this time to break skin. The let out a squeal of shock when he grabbed her wrist. 

"Keep out of the way. You think you can ruin my relationship with Phoebe and I'll do nothing? You keep the ell out of my way."

"Or what?" She tossed her hair back, and to his disgust he saw it wasn't fear in her eyes, but excitement, edged with a glint of lust. "Call your bodyguards again?" She raised her voice now, to just under a scream. Even in the din, it cut and had heads turning. "I wished I've made Phoebe suffer. I should I have ask Curtis to plan something which will make her suffer with you."

"You're sick." He shoved her hand aside. "And you're pitiful." he was pushing his chair back when she slapped him. The ring on her finger nicked the corner of his mouth, and he tasted blood. His eyes went dark and flat as he got to his feet. "You keep crossing the line, Patricia, and you're going to get run over."

"We got a problem here?"

Cole merely glanced at security. The man's shoulders were wide as a canyon and his, sharp smile didn't hold any humor. Before he could speak, Patricia had launched herself against the boulder of his chest, blinking until her eyes filled.

"He wouldn't leave me alone. He grabbed me."

"Oh, for Christ sake."

"That's a damn lie." This from Keith, who'd hopped to Cole's side. "She started on him. She's a lunatic."

"I don't know what they're talking about." Tears, slid gracefully down her cheeks as she tipped her face back to the bouncer's. "He hurt me."

"I saw what happened." A brunette with amused eyes and a slight Southern drawl strolled up. "I was sitting right over there." She gestured behind her, kept her voice low. "This guy was having a beer at this table, minding his own business. She came up to him, got in his face, started poking at him and yelling abuse. Then she slugged him."

The outrage had Patricia shrieking. She took a swipe at the brunette, missing by a mile as the bouncer nipped her around the waist. her exit, kicking and screaming, caused quite a stir.

"Thanks." Cole dabbed the back of his hand on his lips. 

The brunette's smile was low and friendly. "Anytime."

"I'm going to get you a fresh beer. Sit, relax," Keith fussed around him like a mother. "man, that woman is over the edge and then some. I'll get the beer and some ice."

"Your friend's really sweet." She offered Cole a hand. "I'm Dory."

"Cole."

"Yes, I got that from Keith already. he likes my friend." She fluttered a hand toward the table where the blonde sat looking wide-eyed and prettily distressed. "She likes him. Why don't you join us?"

She had voice like cream, and skin to match, intelligent interest in her eyes and a sympathetic smile. And he was just too damn tired to start the dance. "I appreciate it, but I'm going to take off. Go home, soak my head. I'm considering entering a monastery."

She laughed, and because he looked as if he could use it as if he could use it, touched a light kiss to his cheek. "Don't do anything rash. ten, twenty years from now, you'll look back and smile at this little incident."

"Yeah, that's about right. Thanks again, and tell Cole I'll catch him later."

"Sure." She watched him go with little tug of regret.

***

"What do you mean she's gone?," Cole demanded.

"I mean she's packed up and left," Paige said coldly. "You've had your chance and you blew it, don't bother coming back here"

***

Cole went back to a small cottage in Ireland because it reminded him of all the good times he had there with Phoebe. In the center of the room Phoebe stood stock still, clasping and unclasping her hands, watching the handle of the door turn, unable to breathe with the tension. The door swung open, admitting a blast of frigid air and a tall, broad-shouldered man who glanced at Phoebe in the firelight and demanded," Who's there!"

Cole broke off, the door still open, staring at what he momentarily thought was hallucination, a trick of the flames dancing in the fireplace, and then he realized the vision was real; Phoebe was standing perfectly still, looking at him. And lying at her feet was a young Golden retriever. 

Trying to buy time, Cole turned around and carefully closed the door as if latching it with precision were the most paramount thing in his life, while he tried to decide whether she'd looked happy or not to see him. In the long lonely nights without her, he'd rehearsed dozens of speeches to her-from stinging lectures to gentle discussions. Now, when the time was finally here, he could not remember one damn word of any of them.

Left with no other choice, he took the only neutral course available. Turning back to the room, Cole looked at the retriever. "Who's this?," he asked, walking forward and crouching down to pet the dog, because he didn't know what the hell to say to Phoebe.

Phoebe swallowed her disappointment as he ignored her and stroked the retriever's glossy golden head. "I-I call her mystery."

The sound of her voice was so sweet, Cole always pulled her down into his arms. Instead, he glanced at her. "Nice name."

Phoebe instantly noticed the altering of his expression and watched nervously as he crossed his arms over his chest, watching her, his face inscrutable. "You-you look well," she said, thinking he looked unbearably handsome.

"I'm perfectly fine," he assured her, his gaze level. "remarkably well, actually, for a man who hadn't seen the sun shine in more than 3 weeks, or been able to sleep without drinking a bottle of brandy."

His tone was so frank and unemotional that Phoebe didn't immediately grasp what he was saying. When she did, tears of joy and relief sprang to her eyes as he continued: "I've been working very hard. Unfortunately, I rarely get anything accomplished, and when I do, it's generally wrong. All things considered, I would say that I'm doing very well-for a man who's been more than half dead for 3 weeks."

Cole saw the tears shimmering in her magnificent eyes, and one of them traced unheeded down her smooth cheek. With a raw ache in his voice he said, "if you would take one step forward, darling, you could cry in my arms. And while you do, I'll tell you how sorry again I am for everything I've done-" Unable to wait, Cole caught her, pulling her tightly against him. "And when I'm finished," he whispered hoarsely as she wrapped her arms around him and wept brokenly, "you can help me find a way to forgive myself."

Tortured by her tears, he clasped her tighter and rubbed his jaw against her temple, his voice a ravaged whisper. "I'm sorry," he told her. H cupped her face between his palms, tipping it up and gazing into her eyes, his thumbs moving over her wet cheeks. I'm sorry." Slowly, he bent his head, covering her mouth with his. "I'm so damned _sorry_."

She kissed him back, holding him fiercely to her while shattered sobs racked her slender body and tears poured from her eyes. Tormented by her anguish, Cole dragged his mouth from hers, kissing her wet cheeks running his hands over her shaking back and shoulders, trying to comfort her. "please darling, don't cry anymore," he pleaded hoarsely. "Please don't." She held him tighter, weeping, her cheek pressed to his chest, her tears soaking his heavy woolen shirt and tearing at his heart.

"Don't," Cole whispered, his voice raw with his own unshed tears. "you're tearing me apart." An instant after he said those words, he realized that she'd stop crying to keep from hurting him, and he felt her shudder, trying to valiantly to get control. He cupped the back of her head, crumpling the silk of her hair, holding her face pressed to his chest, imagining the nights he'd made her weep like this, despising himself with a virulence that was almost past bearing. 

When he stroked her neck, he noticed she was wearing the pendant key he gave her that night. He lifted at stared at it. "I thought you wouldn't wear it after the way I treated you that day."

Phoebe smiled and covered his hands with hers. "You're wrong. I've worn this ever since you open your heart to me."

_The End_


End file.
